Susan Narjala
Keeping it Real
When You Find Yourself in a Trial
Maybe someone reading this needs to hear these words:
That super stressful, dreadfully unfair, horrible, no-good, unjust, despicable thing you’re dealing with is something that God has allowed, perhaps even ordained, in this season of your life.
I’ll admit that I need to truly wrestle with those words myself.
God is not surprised by the things that seem to hit us out of nowhere. He is Sovereign, and He allows those seasons for a reason. There is purpose in the pain.
Recently, some elements of unfairness have been unfurling in my life. Certain situations made me angry. They caused high levels of stress. They put me on the defensive. They rattled me like I was made of a bunch of empty cans caught in a hurricane.
But then God laid this unusual, so-not-me prayer in my heart. His Spirit led me to say:
“Lord, may I be transformed by the trampling.”
Wait. What?!
God, I want to be livid about this. I want to fight against it. I definitely don’t want to be “transformed” by it!
But I couldn’t argue with the prayer God sparked in my heart. To lay down my rights. To die to self. To allow the trampling.
But, Lord, how can this be a good thing?
Here’s what I see in Scripture:
James 1 reminds us to consider it joy when we face trials of many kinds.
Romans 12 challenges us to offer our bodies as living sacrifices.
Matthew 16 teaches us to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Him.
The trampling is training ground.
Trials expose my heart. They shine a light on my blinding selfishness, my stubbornness, my need for control, my affinity for approval.
The crushing, the self-denial, the sacrifice, the trampling—all of it transforms us to the likeness of Christ—if we allow God to shape us through it.
In the crucible, there is change. The heat melts the dross. The refining leads to re-formation, a reconfiguration of our inner beings, a realignment of our hearts to His.
But friend, here’s the stunning part: we can trust Him through the trampling because He went through incomprehensibly worse.
He was crushed, bruised, beaten, defamed, denied, mocked, spat upon, and crucified. Like a rose, trampled on the ground, He took the fall…
Friend, by no means am I suggesting that you and I quietly endure or excuse abuse of any kind. Trusting God through the trial doesn’t by any means endorse wrongdoing.
Yet often it’s in laying down our rights that we honor God most.
But we can take heart because the trial is not the end of the story. The One who endured the cross is seated at the right hand of the Father. And one day, He will come back, and we will reign with Him.
Meanwhile, the call for us is to trust the One who sees and knows, who vindicates and gives victory.
It is to be trained through the trials in endurance, patience, and humility.
It is to be transformed even through the trampling.
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MEET SUSAN
Comments
12 Comments
Jacob
I liked the truth that ive also experienced that there are seasons for everything under the sun and some seasons are to bring us out of self gratification to God glorification, to humility and victory through training and trials
Susan Narjala
Amen. Self-gratification to God-glorification. Humility to victory. So good. Thanks for sharing. – Susan
Lee
Thank you for these words Susan. Tough to read thru but grateful for the perspective.
Susan Narjala
Thank you, Lee. Yes, to read through it and actually live it out is incredibly hard for me, too (Easier to write a blog post about it for sure!). Only through grace and the Spirit’s empowering can we even begin to do this. God bless. Susan
Sandy Powers
Thank you so much for this! It is so timely and speaks healing words to my heart. This “transformed by the trampling” also applies to emotional changes in our lives that make our hearts feel trampled upon. Being thankful for the transformation infuses strength and acceptance – even joy for what God is accomplishing in my life. ❤️
Susan Narjala
So good, Sandy. Yes, for sure the “trampling” is often emotional. May we be willing to be transformed so we even experience the joy of the Lord through those seasons of crushing. Take care! – Susan
Susan Young
Dear Susan,
Thank you for posting this. It is a timely reminder
Susan Narjala
Thanks for the encouragement, Susan. God bless.
Ted Senapatiratne
Yes, Susan hard words and so needed in our lives, when their is constant emphasis on Prosperity and Productivity, to allow God to take us through the “wilderness and valley” periods of our lives.
Thank You for being faithful to share these words!
Susan Narjala
Amen. Thanks for sharing, Ted. As we walk through the wilderness, may we be willing vessels who are being conformed to the likeness of Christ. God bless. – Susan
Chris S Pullenayegem
Very timely words Susan. As always, well articulated and provoking lots of thoughts and emotions as well. I feel the tension of what you say (laying down our rights) juxtaposed with the need to stand up for what is right. Hmm, will have to think about this one..
Susan Narjala
Thanks for sharing so honestly, Chris. Yes, that tension is hard to navigate. May we find ourselves in the center of God’s will as we seek to honor Him with our lives. God bless! – Susan