For Our Sanctification in the Lord

This next reason is not going to be a very popular reason for many Christians - but it is a very powerful reason nonetheless - and it is all
for our own good and for own benefit.

The second main reason God will allow all of His own to have different kinds of adversities, trials and
tribulations come our way in this life is for our own sanctification in Him.

Per the article we have titled "Sanctification,"
God's ultimate and highest aim for all of us is our sanctification in Him. God wants to make us more holy like He and His Son Jesus. He wants to
transform us into the express image of His Son Jesus Christ. He wants to consecrate and set us apart unto Himself.

God is the Potter and we are the clay. He wants to mold, shape and transform us into godly, righteous and holy saints. But this
shaping, molding and transformation process can be a very painful process at times. And at times, a certain amount of adversity and conflict
is what God will use to help shape, mold and transform us.

Some of the verses I will list below are very extreme, but very powerful. In the wording of some of these verses are some very profound and
powerful revelation being given to us by the Lord as to why He is allowing some of these storm clouds to come our way in the first place.

A perfect example of this type of sanctification in action has to be with some of our soldiers who are returning back home from our war in
Iraq, with many of them coming back home with some very severe and serious injuries. Some have literally lost arms and legs. I just recently saw
two of them interviewed on TV.

When asked if they were bitter or mad as a result of the serious injuries they both had received, both of them responded back with some
incredible statements. Both of them said that the severe and serious injuries that they had sustained actually helped them to become better
people.

The one girl interviewed said before she had received her serious injuries, that she was a very judgmental and critical person. They both had
taken too much of their lives for granted and really did not appreciate the little things of this life. After sustaining these types of serious
injuries, both of them said they are now much more appreciative of every little thing in their lives. They now no longer take their lives for
granted like they used too, and they now see where their priorities should all be set at.

They now see what is most important in this life. They now have a fuller and deeper appreciation of the value and sanctity of human life, and
they will never again take for granted what time they still have left down here to do something very meaningful and purposeful with their
lives.

Instead of letting their serious injuries totally crush and destroy their personal lives and what little time they still have left down here,
they are both using their personal trials and tribulations as a spring board to become much better people - not only for themselves, but for
their families and friends, and for the goals and aspirations that they want to pursue from this point on.

Adversity has a real way of humbling you. For those who are operating in too much pride, severe adversity has a way of knocking most of it
right out of you. Once you see how powerless you really are against the real severe storm clouds of this life, and that you really need
God's help and guidance to make it through this life in one piece, many
people can be brought completely down from their high horses with one or two good torpedo shots.

This is why God will allow a certain amount of trials and tribulations to come our way in this life. These trials and tribulations will either
make you or break you in your own personal walk with the Lord. Put someone through the fires of a real testing and you will find out very quickly
what they are really made of.

Some people make their greatest strides in spiritual development and personal growth in the middle of these types of severe storm clouds.
There is something about severe adversity that will either cause you to spiritually grow and mature in your walk with the Lord very quickly or it
will cause you to quit and throw in the towel on both Him and with what He wants to do with the rest of your life.

Here are some of the positive qualities that can literally be burned and molded into your personality as a result of going through some severe
storm clouds:

• Bravery



• Courage



• Boldness



• Patience



• Steadfastness



• Tenacity



• Perseverance



• Humility



• Self-control



• A calmer and more peaceful heart



• A kinder, softer and more caring heart



• Greater empathy and compassion for others



• Greater appreciation of the sanctity of life



• Greater appreciation of the other people in your life 



• Increase your faith and trust levels in the Lord

In addition to being able to mold and burn these kinds of positive qualities into your personality, trials and tribulations can also serve to
burn out some of the negative qualities that the Lord really does not want operating in your personality such as:

• Pride



• Haughtiness



• Arrogance



• Callousness



• Self-centeredness



• Narcissism



• Self-righteousness



• Hard-heartedness



• Bad tempers



• Mean and vengeful spirits



• Verbally and physically abusive spirits



• Manipulating and controlling spirits



• Know-it-all attitudes



• Judgmental and critical attitudes

Again, I know this is not a real popular piece of revelation being given to us by the Lord, but as you will see in the Scripture verses I will
list below, this is one of the main reasons that God will allow a certain amount of adversity to come our way in this life from time to time.

Article written by Michael Bradley, you can get the complete article on Trials and Tribulations - You can also receive 20% off retail on all Christian books and Bibles at his online christian bookstore