Why is God giving me a hard time? I have prayed, fasted, waited, and trusted Him but nothing. I am facing different battles physically and spiritually, yet God is quiet. He’s not answering my prayers, why?
Sounds familiar? Are you tired of fighting unending battles?
Well, you’re not alone. Every Christian goes through tough times. I went through that, and probably you’re facing it right now, the times when God feels distant.
When you know that He promised you that job, business, contract, or marriage, but nothing has been forthcoming. Times when we find ourselves asking, ‘why me, Lord?’
When we experience a hard time, we tend to think that God is giving it to us. God does not want to see us being struggled or wounded. Mostly, they are the wrong choices that bring us there. But the Lord can allow those hard times to bring restoration, wholeness, and develop the fruit of the Spirit in us.
In this post, I will look at different reasons why God allows us to go through difficult times and why we should not give up when He feels distant. And what to do as we wait upon Him.
Why God Allows us to Go through a Hard Time
1. It is Not God’s Perfect Time
It is easy to get frustrated during the waiting season. In such times it is easy for us to blame God for giving us a hard time. But what if we look at what is happening from a different angle? What if God is actually rescuing you from things that you cannot see?
God’s ways are not ours, and His timing differs from ours. See, God is not limited. He can answer you NOW! But that may not work out for your good.
Just because your child is crying for a razor blade doesn’t mean that you will give it to them. You wouldn’t want your children to hurt themselves. It is not that you hate them, it’s just that you love them so much and care about their safety. There’ll come a time when you will allow them to use the razor blade. It’s just not the right time.
The same is true about God. Father God wants the best for all His children, and that includes you. That is why God hasn’t answered you yet. Please wait for His perfect timing. He is never early, but He’s never too late. God is always on time!
2. God is Shaping your Character
The truth is it is hard for us to pay attention and become the people God wants us to be when life is good. When God answers our prayers, we become comfortable and get caught up with the blessings instead of the blesser.
So maybe God is allowing a hard time in your life because He is shaping your character (Romans 5:4).
It’s in hard times when we are able to pay attention to what God wants to teach us. The Bible encourages us to rejoice in our sufferings because it is in our hard times that we learn how to persevere. And perseverance shapes our character.
Remember, while God wants us to live an abundant life, He also wants us to be transformed into the image of Christ. He wants our lives to be changed from the inside out that we can prosper in all things.
Does God want to hurt us? God does not, but our choices do. That’s why some things are allowed to happen. Hard times change the way we think, talk, and walk before God in the life-giving light.
3. To Prevent you from Falling into Sin
Ever found yourself thanking God for not answering certain prayers. You felt disappointed when God did not give you what you wanted, but you realized that you did not need that thing after some time.
Some things may look useful to you, but you don’t need them. Maybe this is one of those times. God knows what is best for you. He knows what you need right now and what you don’t need.
While God has given us a choice, and we are free to do what we want, the one and the most important thing we should understand is God loves us so much.
Sometimes He allows us to go through hard times to protect us from certain situations that will cause us to fall into sin and ruin our lives. So it is not that God is giving you a hard time. It could be that He is preventing you from sinning.
4. To Build your Faith
Another reason why God allows us to go through hard times is to build our faith. See, it’s not enough to say you have faith. You need to put that faith into action.
James says faith without action is dead (James 2:6). Your faith is like a muscle. To have a healthy, flexible, and strong muscle, it needs to be stretched. The same is with faith.
It is easy to say that you have faith in the healing power of God, but it’s until the day that you or a loved one faces a health challenge that your faith will be tested and built.
Another thing to note is you may find it easy to trust God for £100 but struggle to trust Him for £100,000. God doesn’t have to exert more power to open up doors for you to get £100,000. Providing that money is a piece of cake for God, just the way it is easy to provide £100.
But we may struggle to trust Him for a large sum of money. So God will allow us to go through some hurdles to build our faith. He wants you to stop limiting Him.
5. To Equip you to Comfort Others
The pain or trouble you are going through right now will equip you to help others. There are people that you need to help in this world. But for that to happen, you need to understand their pain. You need to relate to their struggle.
Jesus had to leave heaven and come and live in this world to relate to our pain. Jesus went through the challenges that we went through. That is why He can stand as our Advocate in heaven. (1John 2:1)
There are people who have inspired you to keep going no matter what. They have encouraged you to fight the good fight because they know exactly what it’s like to be in your place. A time is coming when you will also be in a place where you will help people who are struggling like you.
6. To Prepare you for What is Ahead
God has great plans for your life. There are things He wants you to accomplish in this world. But you need to be prepared for what lies ahead. That’s why it may seem like God is being hard on you.
The Bible says that the race is not for the swift (Ecclesiastes 9:11). The Christian walk is not easy. If our Lord Jesus suffered in this world, we will also suffer because the servant is not above the master.
Instead of us complaining, we need to learn to be like Jesus. For though He was fully God, He humbled Himself to the point of death. See, God will never allow you to go through more than you can handle. He is a just God and will help you through it all.
7. To Become MORE Dependent on God
Since the fall, man has found it hard to trust God and remain grounded in Him. Though we know that God is Almighty, we struggle to trust and obey Him.
We only remember God when things are hard. When things become good, we turn away from Him and start doing things our own way. Challenges or suffering force us to be dependent on God, and the more we become aware of God and see Him come through for us, the easier it becomes for us to trust Him.
In the Bible, we see the children of Israel obeying God when times were hard, but when God blessed them and rescued them from their troubles, they would forget about Him and turn to their wicked ways. The same is true about us. (Psalm 78:41)
Hard times teach us how to depend on God alone.
8. God’s Name will be Glorified in your Situation
The truth is the human heart is wicked. We love to take credit even when we know that it is not our own doing. And forget that we serve a jealous God. He will not share His glory with any other person.
Could it be that you are going through that challenge because God wants His name to be glorified through you? Maybe if God answered you immediately, you would quickly forget that He is the one who blessed you.
But when He takes you through different challenges and teaches you different lessons during the storm, you will recognize that it is God who has done it. This, in turn, will cause you to glorify His name.
Instead of focusing on the challenges you are facing, shift your focus to God. See the incredible things that God is doing in your life and start glorifying His name.
With God’s help you CAN overcome any storm of life!
What to Do as you Wait upon the Lord
The Bible says that the Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. (Psalm 34:18 NIV)
As I mentioned earlier, the Lord desires to restore us, but it could be hard to wait upon the Lord.
Patience is not simply the ability to wait – it’s how we behave while we’re waiting.
– Joyce Meyer
So, what shall we do when we are in times of uncertainty while we’re waiting?
• Trust
It is hard to wait, but you need to trust God even when it doesn’t make sense. Trust the process that God is taking you through and believe that your heavenly Father has your best interest at heart.
Abraham had to trust God as he waited for the promise God had given Him. He didn’t do it perfectly, as he chose to listen to Sarah and have Ishmael with Hagar. But even so, he continued to trust.
You may be feeling like quitting. Or maybe you have gone ahead and looked for alternatives. It is never too late to get back on track and believe God. Ask Him to forgive you for getting off track, and to grant you strength so that you can continue trusting Him.
• Obey
There are things God has told you to do during this time of waiting. If not, He will definitely tell you what to do as you prepare for what lies ahead. Please listen to His instructions and follow through. Obedience to God is not an act of slavery, it’s an action to freedom. Your obedience to God will lead you to His blessings.
There will be times when you will find yourself doubting whether you heard right. But don’t give up. God does not give up on us, and we should not give up on God. Obey God even if it is the last thing that you want to do.
• Study and Meditate on the Word
As Joshua took the mantle after Moses’s death, God gave him the strategy that would enable him to succeed as a leader. Joshua was given instructions by God to meditate on the law, God’s word, day and night. And not to turn from it to the left or right (Joshua 1).
Study the word of God and meditate on it day and night so that you can be able to stay your mind on the Lord. When your mind is focused on the Lord, you will remain peaceful in the storm and stand firm in the promise that God has given you no matter what happens.
• Pray
David wasn’t afraid to tell God how he felt or what he was going through. When he was happy, he praised God, and when David felt defeated, he turned to God and complained. Instead of asking other people, ‘why is God giving me a hard time?’ How about going to God. Be open with Him, and do not be afraid to ask Him why He is giving you a hard time.
Prayer will not just change the situation you are in. It will change your heart. The more you talk with God, the more He will deal with your heart, and this will enable you to continue standing firm.
Allow God to deal with your heart so that you don’t end up taking His glory.
Final Thoughts
It is hard for one to understand why they are going through a hard time. That’s why at times we end up asking ‘why is God giving me a hard time?’ It’s not that we are losing faith. It’s just that we want to understand.
The truth is that as long as we live in this world, we shall go through hard times. There are those times when God will rescue us immediately. But there are also those times when He will ‘delay’.
Trust God, no matter how long it takes because He knows what He is doing.
Do not lose faith in Him. If you feel like giving up, turn to God, and ask Him for strength during this challenging time.
God loves you so much, He will not let you down. He is never late and never too early. God is always on time.
The Lord will restore you – TRUST Him!
Are you going through a hard time right now? Have you found any encouragement in this article? Please share with us in a comment below.
Shalom & Blessings,
Haly
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