The Joy of Being Refined: 3 Ways Trials Make You More Like Christ

Are You God’s Work in Progress?

For Christians, we do not need to wonder; the answer is always: yes, we are God’s work in progress!

Life’s low points or trials give the Holy Spirit the opportunity to bring about refinement, leading to sanctification and growth.

We are not alone in this process as humans. Take a moment to think about all of God’s creations in the natural world, which does not have a beautiful beginning.

Butterflies begin as creepy caterpillars, diamonds freshly unearthed lack their brilliance, and what about chocolate? Chocolate’s refinement from bean to bar is anything but easy!

Three Christ-Like Character Traits Refinement Produces

As we discuss refinement, we will reflect on James 1 NIV, specifically on how trials can shape you to become more like Christ.

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”- James 1:2-4 NIV.

The diagnosis or lack of one, the strained relationship, the palpable grief – God uses your challenges to purify your heart and strengthen your faith.

Our Father is unlimited in the ways He can choose to shape us, but here we see three specific ways that we can grow to be more like Christ through hardship:

1. In our reliance upon the Lord,
2. In gaining perseverance
3. In maturity

From Rough to Tough: Reliance Upon the Lord

If all our prayers were answered how we want them to be and in our timing, then there would be no need to rely upon the Lord.

The rough spots that we go through are allowed by God for our good and His glory. We can see that in Romans 8:

“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”- Romans 8:28 NIV.

Knowing this, Christians can trust that God is working things out on our behalf, and while it might be rough, it is “for good.”

Our circumstances are not God’s. We do not need to rely upon a doctor or any human but on the Mighty, Holy God of all Creation, Our Father!

Several years ago, as my dad battled cancer that eventually led him to the Lord and heaven, we made a poster for his hospital room that read:

Yet those who [a]wait for the Lord

Will gain new strength;

They will [b]mount up with [c]wings like eagles,

They will run and not get tired,

They will walk and not become weary.- Isaiah 40:31

The waiting, the relying, and the trusting are what will give us strength that comes only from the Lord.

From Powerless to Perseverant: Power from the Lord

Thank God that you and I are powerless. Even if we do have power, we are not omnipotent enough to handle things well.

James says that our trials bring perseverance, which allows us to keep going!

The more we face, the tighter we hold on to Jesus! He keeps us steadfast.

The Greek word for perseverance here is: “hypomonē”. According to the online concordance blueletterbible.org, hypomonē means:

1. “steadfastness, constancy, endurance
   1. In the NT, the characteristic of a man who is not swerved from his deliberate purpose and his loyalty to faith and piety by even the greatest trials and sufferings
   2. patiently and steadfastly.”

Our lack of power in a terrible situation is actually a good thing because it reminds us that God is in charge, able, willing, and growing our perseverance.

Just like marathon training, strength building, or physical therapy for some of us, these hard moments are expanding our faith muscles.

We can stand firm when we experience something terrible. Why? Because we remember what God got us through, how we relied upon Him, and trust He will do it again.

God is not just producing perseverance within us for no purpose; no, James says: “Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything” James 1:2 NIV.

From Lacking to Mature:

One key part of maturity as a Christian is our prayer life. Our trials give us lots of practice at praying.

If we are praying more and more for help from the Lord, our trust grows, our relationship with the Father grows, and we grow as Christians.

We can ask the Lord, “What do You want from me to learn in this trial? Please help me grow towards You and not away from You in this, Father. Let this circumstance be used for Your glory, and let Your will be done.”

All of this aids in our sanctification, the process of making us holy like Christ. That is the end goal of everything we go through as believers.

Nothing upends us more than something we did not expect, but we can take heart in knowing that this circumstance will be used to help us rely, persevere, and grow up as Christians, all in God’s strength and not our own!