Martin Luther, famed leader of the Protestant Reformation in Germany, once wrote: “Faith is a living, daring, confidence in God’s grace, so sure and certain that a man could stake his life on it a thousand times.”  In these days when fear is actively present in our society, one thing that captures the attention of many post-Christian minded people is the way real faith is displayed when challenging trials and heartaches come into Christians’ lives.  People want to see in authentic ways how faith is lived out as they watch believers deal with grief, life-threatening illness, unforeseen catastrophes, and difficulty.

I have often thought–and others have confirmed this to me from their own experiences–that oftentimes God brings life-altering trials in Christians’ lives in order to put believers on a “stage” where they can “act out” their trust in Him before a watching, worldly audience.  Certainly these kinds of trials no one would wish upon themselves!  They are the type that have no human explanation, no understanding, and no “reason for existence” in the world’s eyes.  Yet, they come to believers’ lives oftentimes to show the greatness, power and mercy of God.

The apostle James calls these kinds of trials “the testing of faith” (James 1:2-3).  It is when faith is tested that a worldly audience gets to see its genuineness and appeal.  Of course faith is fine for the happy times of life, but for most people faith is best pictured when they see it displayed in seasons of difficulty and struggle.  James teaches that in these times of trial, genuine faith will grow in perseverance and maturity, attaining some degree of completeness in the eyes of God (1:3-4).

What post-Christian thinking people want to see today is the way faith–in all its dimensions–is lived out in a world of brokenness and hurt.  In some instances, faith is surrendered trust.  On other occasions, faith is acting in confidence upon God’s grace and moving ahead with determination.  Whatever the situation is at the moment, showing genuine faith in real life means being responsive to God’s leading and dependent upon His enabling to show His light to a dark world.  Post-Christian people don’t care to see ritualistic-religious practices or “go-through-the-motion” ceremonies that have no internal power.  Instead, they want to see how God’s power can shine through human weakness.  Trials are divinely ordained to let God flow through human weakness so that the world can see the genuineness of the Christian gospel.

Perhaps you know a believer that is going through a major trial today.  Be sure to encourage that child of God by reminding him/her that trials can be one of the best witnessing opportunities for Christians in our world today!  Pray that their time on the stage of difficulty would honor Christ and would serve as a witness for others!  In this post-Christian world, pain and heartache capture people’s attention, and genuine faith–the faith that shines the glory of God–can point them to the God of grace and mercy.