We pray to God for wisdom, and it’s a genuine request, so that we can stay in step with the Holy Spirit. However, do we realize it doesn’t happen overnight and isn’t delivered in a shiny box? There are some things to consider, such as whether it is acquired through trials and challenges.
We often wonder why we face challenging times, but we rarely think about what we’re learning from them. Maybe it’s an answer to our prayers. It just doesn’t look like what we expected, so we question God.
Does any of this sound familiar? Challenges are never easy while we’re going through them. We don’t literally ask for God to give us trials, but that’s precisely how we learn and grow. It builds character. Our daily choices often reflect the wisdom we hope to have someday, even if we aren’t aware of it.
It makes you think:
- What daily choices am I making today that my future, wiser self would appreciate?
- What does the wisdom I aspire to have look like in action right now?
It’s a beautiful way to frame personal growth—that aspiration is quietly guiding our daily efforts.
Without testing, there is no growth. Challenges strengthen us and show where we stand in our faith journey. Peter mentions being grieved by many trials: “So that the tested genuineness of your faith – more precious than gold that perishes through it is tested by fire – may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:7, Emphasis added). In essence, those who believe are tested like precious metal, so that our faith is purified and proven to be genuine.
We often focus on the painful situation—the what we’re experiencing—instead of the valuable lesson—the why or what it is creating in us. Difficult times can be opportunities to build qualities like:
- Resilience
- Patience
- Empathy
- Deeper Faith
If a prayer is for strength, maturity, or a deeper connection, the answer may not be easy, but it is a challenge that requires developing those qualities. It involves shifting focus from circumstantial comfort to character growth.
Indeed, God’s ways are not our ways, and His thoughts are not ours (Is. 55:8, ESV), something we must remember to help it make sense. It’s a call to trust the process and the ultimate purpose, even when the immediate experience is confusing or painful. The “tough time” is the necessary ground for a new type of growth.
Paul says we are all being transformed into the image of God from one degree of glory to another (2 Cor. 3:10). This is the process of sanctification that happens over time, not an instant change. This includes, but is not limited to, our moral character, true knowledge, and many God-given abilities (ESV Study Bible Notes).
The New City Bible plan, where I am currently studying the book of James, titled “Wisdom for Practical Life,” emphasizes that godly wisdom is gained through years of learning God’s Word, allowing God to correct us through trials, and being humble. This includes discipleship, training, and being corrected by others, as well as admitting our pride, selfishness, and sin by putting them to death and following Christ faithfully. This relates to my previous blog, ‘Repentance and Rest: Key Elements to Peace.’ This is how we grow in godly wisdom, and how character is formed – in the simple actions and decisions of daily life.
Christ is formed in us, and wisdom is revealed in how we live (1 Cor. 1:30). God takes up residence in our hearts. Our actions, choices, and treatment of others reflect the guest residing in our hearts. It moves faith from a set of external rules to an internal drive for goodness. In turn, this helps us develop strength and resilience to face the challenges that come our way.
God did not leave us alone to handle them; instead, He helps us through them and encourages us to persevere and not give up. I hope this allows you to reflect on the trials and challenges you face in the future with a new, powerful perspective. Maybe whatever you’re going through is preparing you for God’s plan in your life.
The core reflection is to see the trial not as a roadblock, but as a training ground.
- Instead of asking, “Why is this happening to me?” we can ask, “What is this preparing me for?”
- Instead of feeling abandoned, we are reminded that we are being actively equipped.
“And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up” (Gal. 6:9, emphasis added).
“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness” (James 1:2, emphasis added).
Faith Walk Ministries, Inc. 