Tribulation is a strong word, it doesn’t refer to a minor inconvenience, but rather real hardship.  Many believers either have an incorrect understanding of trials and tribulations or they believe that they are completely immune to it.  However, Jesus tells us in John 16:33 that trials and tribulations are inevitable for believers, but he also encourages us to “be of good cheer! I have overcome the world.”  Pastor Christina brings to mind that, in some capacity for the believer of Jesus Christ, our trials, our challenges, our tribulations, and our sufferings are never in vain.  There is always a purpose for our pain.  There is always a reason for what we go through.

The two main passages of scripture we’ll be looking at are, Romans 5:3-4, which speaks of rejoicing in our sufferings, and James 1:2-4 which also tells us to, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you face trials of many kinds.”  Trials exist for a purpose.  They have the potential to produce something good in us, that otherwise would not be possible.  This is why we rejoice.  Our outlook will determine our response.  When our faith is tested, our endurance has a chance to grow.  Faith that is tested in trials becomes genuine faith and matures into uncompromising faith (1 Peter 1:6-7).  

The story of Joseph is a great example of this.  He was betrayed by his brothers and sold into slavery, then later was thrown into prison for a crime he didn’t commit.  After persevering through thirteen years of undeserved suffering, God lifted him to the position of Prime Minister of Egypt.  Only then was he able to look back at his life and declare to his brothers, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives” (Genesis 50:20).