Recently I entered into my quiet time battling self-pity. I questioned God’s justice.
Father, if You love me so much, then why does it seem some others are more blessed than me?
They seem to have fewer trials—especially in family life. In the past this line of thinking had led me to consider, “God, You must love them more than You love me.”
God’s answer led me down another course.
Elaine, you count only ease and smoothness of life as blessings. Trials are blessings. Trials draw you to me and grow your faith.
Then James 1:2 & 3 came to mind.
Consider it all joy…when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. NASB
Next to that verse in my Bible I wrote awhile ago the definition of endurance– “the quality that does not surrender to circumstances nor succumb when under pressure.”
As I was honest with myself, I had to admit trials had helped me in the area of enduring.
Since then I’ve been thinking a lot about trials. When I look back on them through God’s eyes, I’m able to thank Him for using them for my good and His glory.
And I’m praying for the grace to skip the complaining and self-pity and move straight to the joy when I first encounter a new trial. That’s when I will know I’m a mature Christian. Lord, help me grow up.
We cannot choose our trials,
those stepping-stones
by which we climb
the mountain of faith.
But God in infinite wisdom
handpicks them,
knowing more where we
need to grow
than we do
We can choose
to count it all joy.
What about you? Are you caught in a web of self-pity and questioning God? Or are you choosing to “consider it all joy?”
Hearts Set Free Blog 
I am learning when I stop complaining and feeling sorry for myself and pick up my “trial cross” it isn’t as heavy as I thought it would be because He is right there helping me carry it and He takes me to Calvary to the foot of His cross and I suddenly am closer to God than ever before. Divine wisdom for me has been learning that trials are truly blessings from above. I’ll pray, Elanie, that we both can skip any complaining at the next trial that shows up in our lives and go straight to the joy He has in store for us! May He bless you for being faithful in blogging for Him!
May He fill your heart with joy and peace. Allelulia! He is risen and He is alive in you!
I can see His light shining through your words.
No truer words! I am thankful for the trials, because they ARE blessings! Thank you, Elaine, for reminding me of that!
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18: Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
glad to see you felt like i did. than i saw the movie letters to god. must see. two ladies at my church have had much more serious situtions trails than i have had. made me feel ashamed of thinking that way. help me to esteem others more highly than myself.. my deepest desire is to over come self pity.