Dealing with life's trials
All sorts of trials can come to us anytime. It would be good to expect them so we can prepare ourselves. We have to learn how to deal with them effectively.
There are human and natural ways to handle trials, difficulties, and challenges. But we should never forget there are times when we are completely helpless to do anything. Still, we have to remember there is always a way out.
What we cannot solve or resolve in our own ways, God always can. The secret is to follow the example of Christ. In the end, he just bore everything all the way to offering his life. But he resurrected, and with that he conquered the sting of death, the worst thing that can happen to us.
We have to strengthen our belief that only with Christ can we bear the trials of life, find meaning in them and even derive some good from them. With him, there is nothing to worry, as long as we also do our part.
We need to see how bearing all our problems and difficulties with Christ can bring us the best solution. That's simply because with Christ, our trials and difficulties would not simply have a human solution, but one that can bring us to our eternal destination in heaven.
While we are most interested in finding human and natural solutions to our problems, we should see to it we are not trapped by that mindset alone. We have to learn how to transcend that attitude and enter into the world of our faith.
God is a father to us all. He has given us everything that we need, especially what we need to gain our ultimate goal in life. He has done this by giving us his son who became man who continues to be present and alive in our lives, ever helpful to us in our needs through the Holy Spirit.
On this, St. Paul has this to say: "If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, will he not also give us all things with him? (Rom 8,31-32)
We need to etch these words into our hearts so that whatever happens, we can always feel secure and hopeful. Let's remember that as much as possible we should avoid being frozen by fears and doubts.
On the contrary, we need to be confident and bold so that we do a lot of good, we can do the things of God which are always for the good of all men. Irrespective of how the outcome of our good deeds would be, we know they will do us a lot of good.
We have to learn how to suffer the way Christ suffered, how to be patient and let go of certain things the way Christ was patient and let go of things, like the strict requirements of justice.
Every day we should take advantage of the trials and difficulties we meet to learn the art of Christian patience and the value of suffering with Christ.
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