How to Trump Your Trial
How to Trump Your Trial
Stress doesn’t come from the trial itself.
It comes from what we believe about the trial.
When life doesn’t go according to plan, our minds naturally race toward fear, worry, frustration, or discouragement. We begin asking questions like:
“Why is this happening to me?”
“When will this end?”
“How am I going to get through this?”
The more we focus on what we can’t control, the more our stress grows.
But what if we changed the question?
As an executive coach, I often ask clients,“What’s great about this situation?”
At first, that question can seem impossible. When you’re walking through a health crisis, financial pressure, relationship struggles, or uncertainty at work, there doesn’t appear to be anything “great” about it.
Unless…
You believe God is still at work.
When we Edge God into our trials, our perspective begins to change. Instead of seeing the trial as something happeningtous, we begin seeing it as something God is workingthroughus.
Paul reminds us:
“I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.” (Romans 8:18)
The trial may be real. As was the case when I was diagnosed with advanced cancer one week prior to my divorce court date in 2006.
The stress may be real.
But God’s purpose is even more real.
James takes it one step further:
“Consider it pure joy… whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.” (James 1:2-4)
Notice James doesn’t tell us to enjoy the trial.
He tells us to consider what the trial is producing.
That changes everything.
Stress Less by Looking for the Growth
One of the greatest stress reducers is purpose.
When you know your pain has purpose, it becomes easier to persevere.
Trials produce what comfort never can.
- Greater faith.
- Greater endurance.
- Greater wisdom.
- Greater compassion.
- Greater dependence on God.
Character isn’t developed on the mountaintop.
It’s developed in the valley.
As mentioned in other blogs, that’s where the flowers grow.
Every challenge is preparing you for something greater than the challenge itself.
When stress rises because of a trial, practice the EIC Method.
Encounter
Don’t deny the pain.
Bring it honestly before God.
Identify
Ask yourself:
- What is this trial teaching me?
- What fear is driving my stress?
- What character quality is God developing in me?
Course Correct
Replace fear with truth. Become the detective with God for learning and growth.
Instead of asking, “Why is this happening?”
Ask:
- What is God growing in me?
- How can I trust Him today?
- What’s great about this situation that I can’t yet see?
That simple shift moves your focus from panic to purpose.
Edge God In
Peter reminds us that when we endure hardship with our eyes fixed on God, our perseverance is precious to Him (1 Peter 2:19).
God never wastes a trial. When I lost my hair and breasts I was reminded of the truth that man looks at the outer appearance and God looks at the heart of who you truly are, where your identity remains in tact and grounded in unconditional love (1 Samual 16:7)
He wastes nothing.
Every difficult season becomes fertile ground for stronger faith and deeper character.
You may not have chosen this valley.
But don’t rush through it so quickly that you miss what God is growing there.
The flowers only bloom in the valley.
So does endurance.
So does courage.
So does character.
So does peace.
Stress Less Challenge
The next time you feel overwhelmed by a trial, pause before reacting.
Take a slow breath, focus on the exhale more than the inhale.
Then ask yourself:
“What’s great about this situation?”
Not because the trial is good.
But because God is.
When you trust that He is working all things together for your ultimate good, your perspective changes, your stress begins to decrease, and you discover that the greatest victory isn’t escaping the trial…
It’s allowing God to use it to transform you.
That’s how youtrump your trial.
Key Takeaway
You can’t always control your circumstances, but you can control your response. By choosing faith over fear and focusing on what God is developing in you rather than what is happening to you, you reduce stress and build the endurance and character that lead to lasting peace.
Homework: Listen to Edge God In:How to Triumph in Trials
