Testing and God's power

But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, In stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings; By pureness, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned, By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, By honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report: as deceivers, and yet true; As unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and, behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed; As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things. – 2 Corinthians 6.4-10

Another purpose of testing and hard times is simply to let people see the power of God working in our lives.

Nobody like troubles, but everyone sees them. Sometimes they are seemingly overwhelming and impossible to get through. Sometimes they are more than we can handle. Sometimes we want to just give up.

Our goal in a trial is not to prove how good we are. It is the chance for us to show that we are willing to trust the power of God. Even more it is a chance for us to let the world around us see the power of our God.

Now, our flesh may not like to admit that we can’t handle it. We like to think that we an sort things out. There is nothing like a trial to prove to use that we can’t and to teach us the need to rely on God.