Many people have come to me with this very question, often during seasons of pain or uncertainty. And I understand it deeply, because it’s a question that rises from the heart’s desire to make sense of suffering. When life becomes heavy, we naturally ask why a loving God would let us walk through trials at all.
In Scripture, we often see God meeting His people in their hardest moments. In the Letter of James, we hear: “the testing of your faith produces perseverance.” That doesn’t mean God delights in our struggles; it means He is close enough to shape something sacred within them. Trials uncover what we lean on, what we hope in, and where our hearts truly rest. They open a space where trust can become more than a thought — it becomes a lived relationship with Him.
The Church teaches us that faith is not simply believing ideas about God; it’s entrusting our whole selves to Him. Trials, strangely enough, create the conditions for this trust to deepen. When our own strength feels small, we discover His strength. When our plans fall apart, we find His wisdom. And when the night feels long, we learn that His presence is not fragile, but steadfast and real.
What this means for us is that trials are not punishments; they are invitations. In them, God is gently forming a clearer, purer faith — a faith that is less dependent on circumstances and more rooted in His love. When you walk through hardship with Him, something changes within: patience grows, compassion widens, and hope becomes anchored not in what we see, but in who He is.
May every trial you face become a place where God draws near, teaching your heart to trust Him more deeply. And may you find, even in difficulty, that He is shaping a faith capable of carrying light into the darkest places.
— Fr. John Matthew, for Christian Way
