Epistle No. 7 – Why Not You?

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If you let Tiktok tell it, then we should call God to make sure we’re not on His “Strongest Soldiers” list for 2023.

Those of you who are not aware of this Tiktok trend, its one where people make videos/memes of them calling God to ensure they don’t go through any major trials/tests for 2023. There’s an old adage that says, “God gives his strongest battles to his strongest soldiers.” And those who believe this adage don’t want to be considered God’s strongest if it means going through strong battles.

Now truth is, God does not give his strongest battles to his strongest soldiers. According to the Bible, God allows us to go through trials, and tests us (not to be mistaken with temptations that come from the devil and the lusts of our mind) in order to know what’s in our hearts and in our minds. God also tests us to build our faith in Him, and to produce perseverance in us.

Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. Deuteronomy 8: 2 NIV

…because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance James 1: 3 NIV

I recently gave birth to my third child. And ultimately everything went according to the plan of God but I still had some questions… Questions like “why me, God?”My labor and delivery experience was no walk in the park, although most of the experience was truly an answer to a long time prayer (more on this in a dedicated blog post coming soon).

At some point postpartum, I gave in to this sin of self-pity and started questioning why…Why do I always have to go through these challenges? Why can’t I have easy births like so many other women? God, what is it that I have not done in order to have a birth that I know is so very possible? These were not hypothetical questions. I sincerely asked these questions and part of God’s response to me, although unexpected, came with peace and was very comforting. God told me ” because I AM GOD and I said so.” Later on, I’ll share what else God told me about my trials.

When you’ve walked with God long enough, you find that He can trust you with such responses. Not everything needs unveiling. Not every situation requires an explanation. God expects us to reach a place in our relationship with Him where we trust what He is doing in us and through us, even when He doesn’t explain what that looks like.

And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. Romans 8:28 NLT

In the book of John 21, Jesus explains the kind of death Peter will endure in order to glorify God. Immediately, Peter turns his attention to the disciple whom Jesus loved, John and asks Jesus about his portion.

Jesus answered, “If I want him [John] to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me.” John 21: 22 NIV 

Sometimes our trials/tests are harder to face because our gaze is fixed on someone else’s life. We find it difficult to endure God’s trials and testing without complaining because it seems like someone else is going through life without the same testing. We ignorantly believe that if God could only comfort us in the test/trial by telling us why we have to endure it, it will be easier.

God does not always tell us what He’s doing. It actually pleases Him to conceal matters from us; that’s what makes Him God. But God wants us to know that our situations do not take away from the good thoughts He thinks towards us, or the good plans He has for us. If you would just trust and follow Him in spite of these tests and trials, you will see the glory of God in and through your life.

It is God’s privilege to conceal things and the king’s privilege to discover them. Proverbs 25:2 NLT