The “Trial” of Blessings

We often hear about the blessings that come through trials—the encouraging knowledge that, no matter what challenges we may face, there is always something to gain when we view our hardships through the lens of Scripture. Put more simply, we are told to “count it all joy” when we fall into trials (James 1:2).

But what about when we fall into blessings?

In this life, we will experience tremendous sorrow and great joy. Ecclesiastes 3 reminds us that there is a time for everything: “a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh” (verses 3-4).

Life has many ups and downs, with seasons of hardship and seasons of abundance. When challenges and trials overtake us, we may have a general idea of what to do—difficult as that may be. (You can find some help and encouragement in our online article “Seven Keys to Coping With the Trials and Tribulations of Life.”)

But how often do we consider how we should approach seasons of blessings, joy and abundance?

At first glance, this may seem like an odd question. After all, what’s not to like about blessings? What is there to endure or overcome when we get what we want? Can’t we let our guard down and just enjoy the blessings?

When God blesses us, He certainly intends for us to enjoy His gifts. We know from Scripture that He “has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant” (Psalm 35:27). But as we relish these seasons of abundance, consider that trials and blessings both can put our character to the test.

“The deceitfulness of riches” (Mark 4:19)

Trials can break us down, shatter our self-reliance and prod us to lean fully on God. In contrast, blessings—when approached incorrectly—can strengthen our independence, causing us to forget their true source as we begin to yearn for more.

If we find ourselves slipping into this mindset during times of prolonged prosperity, we’re not alone. The temptation of pride and self-reliance beckons to us all.

Yet the challenges of prosperity don’t end there. For some, tremendous abundance comes with tremendous guilt. Knowing they possess what others lack hinders their ability to enjoy what God has given them. Others approach blessings with apprehension, fearing that a misstep could cause God to remove them.

Blessings from God are always a cause for celebration and heartfelt gratitude. We should look forward to them. But like every season of life, times of prosperity have their tests and temptations—tests that can be easily overlooked or dismissed because we “have it good.”

So, how can we overcome these challenges and continue growing spiritually as we prosper physically?

How can we navigate the trial of blessings?

“Forget not all His benefits” (Psalm 103:2)

One thing we can do is acknowledge the scope of God’s kindness toward us. Rarely do our blessings come all at once; rather, they accumulate over time, making it easy to forget just how much we have and to begin viewing our prosperity as normal and expected rather than as a gracious gift.

From time to time, we can take stock of our blessings, recognizing God’s hand in them. We may be surprised to see just how long the list has grown.

One response can be to show gratitude to God in our prayers and in our giving. (See more in our articles “Christian Giving” and “Generosity in the Bible.”)

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above” (James 1:17)

One of humanity’s persistent weaknesses is forgetfulness. The cycle often goes something like this: we have a need or desire, we seek God’s help, He provides, we prosper, we thank and appreciate Him for a time—and then we begin to forget the significance of those blessings and their source.

Blessings can be a powerful tool for us to learn gratitude, humility, dependence, contentment and trust. As fortunate recipients of God’s blessings, we can use them to honor Him and grow spiritually. This pattern isn’t new. Those who have studied the passages chronicling Israel’s journey to the Promised Land recognize this as a recurring theme in Scripture.

The hallmark of Moses’ life was his endeavor to lead the Israelites into the land that God, in His love, wanted to give them. For 40 years, he watched them struggle to truly appreciate all that God was planning to give them and had already provided along the way. Poised to inherit the Promised Land, they needed to check their pride at the door.

Knowing he wouldn’t be there to guide them in this next stage of their journey, Moses left them with a powerful, timeless warning:

“Beware that you do not forget the LORD your God . . . lest—when you have eaten and are full, and have built beautiful houses and dwell in them . . . and all that you have is multiplied . . . then you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth’” (Deuteronomy 8:11-17).

Israel’s ability to succeed hinged on their recognition of their dependence on God for every single blessing. Ours does too.

“Remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth” (Deuteronomy 8:18). God wants to give us good gifts. We can respond by recognizing Him as the source of our blessings, demonstrating gratitude and obedience in return.

“Be content with such things as you have” (Hebrews 13:5)

One additional challenge of material wealth is that it often stokes our desire for more. Left to its own devices, our human nature quickly tires of what we’ve received and begins to seek something new and more exciting.

Receiving gifts can subtly train the mind to expect that more will follow—and to become discouraged when those expectations aren’t met.

The apostle Paul put it best in 1 Timothy 6:6-7 when he stated that “godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.” Paul was certainly qualified to lend this perspective. Through all that he suffered—from abasing to abounding—he learned the importance of contentment in every stage of life (Philippians 4:11-12).

Contentment doesn’t mean we can’t aspire for certain blessings or ask God to provide for our wants and needs. In fact, God encourages us to come before Him in prayer to express our desires (Philippians 4:6-7). But we can also learn to accept His will if He doesn’t fulfill our wishes in the way we want Him to. (See our online article “What’s the Real Source of Contentment?”)

Achieving Paul’s level of contentment is no mean feat, but pursuing contentment is a way to enjoy what we have without constantly longing for more.

“I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5)

In the midst of a trial, the knowledge that it won’t last forever brings comfort. In the midst of abundance, that same knowledge can bring anxiety.

When we receive good gifts, we naturally want to hold onto them and relish them for as long as possible. The idea of losing them one day—even for a better blessing or a learning opportunity—can make us uneasy. If we’re not careful, we can spend an entire season of prosperity mourning the future loss of blessings we still have.

This not only undermines the purpose of those blessings, but it can also distort our view of God. The fear that God may take His gifts from us can transform Him, in our minds, from a loving, generous Father to one who may leave us empty-handed.

But this is not how God works. God maintains the right to give and take away as He sees fit, but He always acts in our best interests—and He will never leave us. He is with us in both prosperity and adversity (Ecclesiastes 7:14).

This is easy to affirm in theory, but often much more difficult to put into practice. We can bring our struggle to God if we find ourselves struggling to let go of our abundance. We can express our concerns and ask for His help to adopt the right mindset and learn to trust Him fully. Over time, He will show us that He has the power to sustain us through anything, with or without these blessings.

The greater purpose of blessings

Blessings can be a powerful tool for us to learn gratitude, humility, dependence, contentment and trust. As fortunate recipients of God’s blessings, we can use them to honor Him and grow spiritually.

For more about God’s blessings, see our online article “Live Long and Prosper.”