Introduction
Have you ever wondered why YOU are going through what you’re going through? Not wondered why hardship is happening, but why is it happening to YOU specifically?
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
Philippians 4:8
In seasons of turmoil, it’s important that you not only get a heavenly perspective on your circumstance but also a heavenly perspective of yourself. It’s unlikely that God randomly selected you to go through what you’re going through. The hardship, setback, or uncertainty you may find yourself in is there—at least in part—to give, develop, or show you something, not just about God, but about you.
Some trials are there for God to give you something. David faces Goliath to set the stage for David to become King. God put him through it to give him a platform. If you’re in a tough season, look for what God is trying to give you in the midst of it.
For all of us, if we are wise enough to discipline ourselves in the midst of our hardship, that dark season can actually be a development season. The fruits of the Spirit are not revealed in times of bliss but blossom in times of toil. Do you want patience? God may keep you in a situation longer than you’d like. Do you want joy? Paul testifies about LEARNING how to be joyful through trials from a jail cell. Do you want peace? The disciples realized that peace is found in the person of Jesus in the middle of a storm! Be careful what you wish (pray) for.
Or maybe for you, this season is designed for you to realize your calling. God calls Moses, who is a stutterer, to speak. God calls Joseph, the youngest brother, to lead the family. God calls Esther, an orphan and ethnic outcast, to save a nation and serve as queen. Perhaps this season isn’t designed to kill you but to reveal you.
I’ve learned there’s no need for others to know who you are if you don’t know who you are. Not for your fame or notoriety or even self-esteem, but so that you would stand firm, uncompromising in your pursuit of the renown of the glory of God. People who don’t know who they are are subject to not knowing what they should do or how they should live. But people who realize they are more than conquerors are not easily swayed.
Don’t just come out of the adversity you’re facing with a clearer understanding of who God is or the purpose of the pain, come out with a stronger sense of who God has uniquely made you to be.
You can learn to love the process.
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- What’s something about you you want to look different on the other side?
- Has your aim in the past been to grow in or survive hard seasons?
- In Judges 6:11-18—God calls a guy named Gideon a mighty warrior, but Gideon doesn’t see himself that way. So God sends him into a battle with the odds against him, but God is with him, and he is victorious. What stood out from God’s initial talk with Gideon in that passage?
- What’s a harder battle for you, pride or confidence, and how do you let scripture instruct you?
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Camilo Buchanan Camilo Buchanan is a speaker, writer, podcaster, and leads the Young Adult ministry at Passion City Church. He holds a Bachelors degree from Georgia State University, a masters degree from Dallas Theological Seminary and is currently pursuing his Doctorate from Southeastern University. He enjoys spending his time pouring into students and leaders, writing content, working on real estate, traveling, and eating with friends & family, alongside his wife, Emily, and their puppy, Rummi.
