How Trials Refine Our Faith: Jesus as the Super-Piling
How Do Trials Refine Faith?
The best answer I’ve heard was given by John Piper in a seminary class on I Peter.
He was illustrating 1 Peter 1:6-7, and said something like this –
You Are A Pier
Imagine that you are a pier stretching out over the ocean. Just as every pier rests on pilings, so our lives rest on pilings of health, job, and friends to give us joy and security.
But when you were saved you saw that only Jesus Christ could give you the joy and security you craved — and you invited Him to be the Super-Piling of your life.
As you rested your weight on Him, you found that He was strong and solid, and you felt security and peace like you’d never known.
But even though most of our weight is resting on Jesus Christ, some of our security and satisfaction still rests on other pilings — like health, or employment, or friendships.
And to the extent that we rest on other pilings we will have less security and joy in Jesus Christ.
Trials Are Storm Waves
So, in great love and wisdom, God sends trials — storm waves — against our pier.
Every trial that comes our way shakes a piling we rest on. Maybe a strange pain in your side shakes the piling of health, or rumors of layoffs shake the piling of employment, or an awkward conversation shakes the piling of friendships.
When these other pilings get shaken, that reminds us that Jesus Christ cannot be shaken. He is the Super-Piling.
And when we see that, we take whatever security and satisfaction we had resting on other pilings, and put it onto Jesus Christ, relying on Him more and more.
The Result
That´s why God sends trials, to help us see the weakness of other pilings, so we will take our trust off other pilings, and place it all the more in Jesus Christ.
The less we rely on other pilings, and the more we rely on Jesus Christ, the more security and joy we will have.
Which is why we can rejoice in trials. Because even though it’s hard when pilings shake, God is doing this to give us stronger faith in Christ, so we can experience even more security and joy in Him.
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And here are some related posts you might find helpful –
- Asking Why? Here’s God’s Loving Purpose For Every Trial
- Does God Ordain Every Trial?
- Spurgeon’s Take On Trials
- How Hudson Taylor Saw Difficulties
(Picture by tig551 at stock.xchng.)
Great post! I love the piling illustration. That is really a helpful way to think about trials. Jesus is the super piling! Great.
Thanks for the post.
You are so welcome, brother. Thanks for your comment — and let’s keep trusting the Super-Piling!
Steve, this was my first look at the at blog and very encouraging… great stuff. I was really blessed by the super piling, and other trial issues you addressed.
Rick
I am so glad you found this helpful, Rick. And thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment!
Very encouraging. Thank you so much.
I am so glad you found this encouraging, Etienne. Thank you for letting me know.
In Christ,
Steve Fuller
the analogy to a pier really hit the spot.
thankyou ,I needed to read this today and to be thankful for storms and hurricanes and even tornados
You are so welcome, Kay!
Thank you for this post, its one of those things that you “know” but God reminds us when we let our mind slip.
I am currently facing unemployment after graduating (the last graduation was just as the recession hit so I decided to study again to make myself more employable however I am finding that after 6 months things are worse than they were during my first graduation)
I know that God has promised me a job but I am getting fed up and my mind has been so caught up on the fact that I need a job that God has gone out so it is a nice reminder that God is the only ‘piling’ in my life that cannot be shook, He is a constant God.
Thank you for this post