Going through a test lately that seems endless? This post is for you.

Trial: A test to assess its suitability.

The trials we face can be created by ourselves or be circumstantial (based on circumstances). I will reluctantly tell you that sometimes mine fall into the former category, and I encourage you to find out where your trials fall into as well.

Nonetheless, trials are a part of life. There is nothing that can prevent us from facing trials. Each one of us will face trials of different kinds. Trials can range from emotional, physical, spiritual, occupational, social, environmental, and intellectual. They can even be given to us collectively (all at once).

Trials are extremely painful, but they are worth the pain.

The point of trials is to see how you get through them: not just to be done with the trial, but to endure the pain throughout. 

If you're a Christian, another point of trials is to assess your faith (re-read the definition of 'trial' above). And remember, God blocks a lot of Satan's tactics to harm us, but He does let us face hard situations to produce spiritual growth! When we are in pain during trials, it isn't to harm us, but to mature us.

Since there are no escaping trials, the key is your reaction to your trials. Our reactions can prove our obedience to God and allow us to imitate Jesus more and more. If we choose to react out of alignment to God, then we open ourselves up for further hurt and discontentment. Let's make sure the latter doesn't happen.

What do we need to do in order for our reactions to line up with God's will for our lives?

3 Biblical Tips to Pass a Spiritual Test:

1. Rejoice!

"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds" (James 1:2)

Rejoice: To show great joy.
Joy: Great pleasure, delight.
Happiness: State of being happy. 

It's sometimes hard to differentiate between joy and happiness because they are very similar. Joy, however, goes deeper than cheerfulness and feeling lighthearted. Joy is looking beyond your present trial, not focusing on the hardship at all, and remembering the Lord's promises. It's being planted firm on the Lord, not your problem!

Focusing on the Lord causes us to be happy, excited, and content during a hard time because He Himself is the Prince of Peace. When we are truly one with Him, we have no other option but to be in a blissful state. When we keep our mind on Him instead of our problem, He will lead us and guide us through the whole thing.

We don't need to come up with a solution! If we are being led by the Spirit, there needs to be no effort on our part but to obey what the Lord is telling us to do. We need to just listen to Him! But some of us are so distracted by our problem that we can't hear Him! That leads us to be dissatisfied, confused, and worrisome.

This is why it's so important to rejoice in the Lord rather than worry and fear! If we focus on the Lord from the beginning, we can create an opportunity to be mentored by God each step of the way, so that we save ourselves from extra work and junk that comes with being outside God's path.

See, some of us are totally led by our emotions. We need to realize that happiness will come and go. You can't stay stuck Monday through Saturday because you feel defeated by a trial, then go to church on Sunday to hear a sermon that temporarily uplifts you, just to go back to your old behavior by Tuesday.

If you base your feelings on what is happening around you each moment, you will never be satisfied. You will be complaining about your problem one minute, cling to the Lord the next, and be happy only until another problem arises. But once you reach a level of perfect joy, no trials matter because God is greater through every single one.

Keep your eyes set above at all times.

You can't let your mind carry your focus. Each thought you have should be taken captive to the Lord. Don't be swayed each time your feelings change. Keep them consistent! Don't let your mind think about the problem. Keep yourself in alignment!

If you still feel like you can't rejoice during trials, then I want you to rest in this truth: if God is doing a work in your life, it's for the best. Below are some verses that prove God's work is the best!

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly" (John 10:10)

"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope" (Jeremiah 29:11)

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths" (Proverbs 3:5-6)

"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose" (Romans 8:28)

Whenever you have a thought that is contrary to these verses, remember to rejoice in the Lord, set your mind above, and take every emotion captive to God's promise for your life!

2. Ask for wisdom with faith!

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways (James 1:5-8)

Rejoicing first is important before asking in faith, and I will show you why that is.

If we can't manage the rejoicing portion, it's honestly because we don't trust the Lord to get us out of our trials.  We think we've been defeated so much that there's no way out of the situation. God can't possibly have control over the situation if everything FEELS like a mess. We must get out of our feelings! I don't know about you, but I walk by faith and not by sight. I don't care what my circumstances look like, I'm going to keep my mind focused on God.

If you're going through a trial that is purposed to test your faith, then ask God for wisdom with all the confidence you can stir up. Some of us never have confidence during our trials because we're so focused on the problem and not the Lord. Which is why we need to go back to REJOICING over and over again until it becomes second nature.

Oddly enough, some of us have been going through the same tests and trials that we continuously fail. You may be asking for wisdom with faith for the third time, but the Lord gave you the wisdom the first time you asked for it. Some of us have been dealing with the same sin in life for the past fifteen years! He showed you what to do fifteen years ago, but you've ignored Him ever since. You become so frustrated at this point because you feel like God has forgotten about you.

It's time to refocus and get in alignment again. Start to get intentional about repenting. Make sure that this trial will be the last one in this area of your life. Take a step back from your overbearing feelings, practice self-control, and refresh your memory of what God's Word says before making decisions regarding this trial.

This will look different for all of us. Some need to go on a fast, from any distractions, to regain clarity. Some need to lock themselves in the room with a Bible in their hands and read the Word. Some need to sit in silence and get rid of all the thoughts in their heads.

And even some of us think that God won't speak to us directly all the time. He knows your test and trial from the beginning to the end. He knows the past, present and future. He is testing you so that you can learn, not Him. What He wants is for us to ask in faith, so that we can hear His path clearly. He will freely give you the answers that you're looking for.

You need to rest, find peace in your situation, and then wait for His direct reply. We need for Him to show us the correct way to respond through the trial. No one else can show us the way that the Lord wants us to go. You can consult as many pastors and spiritual sisters in Christ that you can find, but they are only humans. Make your relationship with the Lord most important.

Who needs to consult godly counsel when we have access to the Creator of Heaven and Earth for all of eternity? 

3. Give glory to God!

Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass he will pass away. For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits (James 1:9-11)

Glory: To boast.

Put aside your trial right now and start thanking Him for every good thing you have. Yes, even your hot water because that is a luxury and gift from God. What the enemy wants is for us to magnify that one teeny tiny problem and forget all of God's goodness. We are like the Israelites who just got taken out of great slavery in Egypt, but yet are complaining that we don't have food right in front of us. Are you kidding?! That's why it took them so long to get to the Promised Land! Most of them died during their journey because they prolonged the process.

Worship, praise, and pray because this storm too shall pass. When the Lord sent His people out for war, He always put the worshipers in the front of the line. It's time we do the same! Let's put our real spiritual weapons first, which can defeat the enemy more than any strategic plan can.

Read Part 2 of this post here.

Which biblical tip have you been following? What was the outcome? Share any testimonies in the comments below!