Transforming Trials

Shauna: This is Shauna on Joni Eareckson Tada: Sharing Hope. Joni, although you've gone through many trials, I don't think I've ever seen you just tolerate them, as though you were weathering them out until things got better. To me, that is unusual considering how most people deal with trials nowadays. So, Joni, what do you think transforms a trial into a rich time of spiritual formation instead of being only a burdensome nuisance? I mean, I believe a lot of our listeners, being Christians, would like to understand how to view their trials as less of a burden and more of a blessing.
Joni Eareckson Tada: Oh yes, to look at all our trials as a blessing, right? Well, it's certainly how the Bible would have us to look at trials. Why else would we be told to "count it all joy" when we go through a trial? So, here's a good way to look at it. Survival will ask, "How can I get through this trial?" But the Lord would have us ask, "How is God going to use this trial to make me more like His Son?" And oh, how important this distinction is if only we'd stop and think when we are hit with a trial. The way Proverbs 15 tells us to do, it says, "The heart of the righteous weighs the answer." So stop and weigh what you think. Do you want to have a natural knee-jerk reaction to this frustrating trial like, "Oh man, how am I ever going to survive this hassle?" Or, would you rather pause and ask God how you can cooperate with Him and His plan for you in this trial? Because as a Christian, isn't that what we want? Don't we want to cooperate with God to move forward into His plan for our lives? The Bible assures us that everything, every small and great trial, every pain and problem, is ordained by God for your benefit and blessing. I remember early on when I was still somewhat new to my wheelchair, I read this quote by Alan Redpath. Listen to this. He wrote, "There is no circumstance, no trouble, no trial, no testing that can ever reach me until, first of all, it has gone past God the Father, then past Christ, and then right through to me. And if it has come that far, it has come with great purpose." And of course, God's great purpose is that you be like Jesus. You can read about that in Romans 8:28 and 29. So, when you face a trial today, remember: survival will have you say, "How can I get through this?" But your spiritual blessing will say, "How is God going to use this trial to make me more like His Son?" Check yourself. Ask, "Do I want this trial to consume me with anxious energy or do I want it to increase my trust in Christ?" A trial becomes transformative when you begin to long for Jesus more than you long for relief. This means you can tell how much you treasure Jesus just by the way you respond to a trial. When you cooperate with God in that trial, you are on your way to experiencing the infinite value of Christ, which in turn leads you to treasuring Him above all else, even trials.
Shauna: These lessons are so rich, Joni, and I want our listeners to know that they can find these same insights and even more in a new booklet you've written called The Hope of Heaven. Listening friend, we would love to give you a free copy, and it's yours for the asking at joniradio.org. You'll benefit so much from the way Joni draws a clear line between our response to earthly trials and our capacity for eternal joy. The Hope of Heaven is yours at joniradio.org.