The Trials of Jesus Christ Made Him Who He Is

Have you ever known someone who stopped coming to church because of a trial they were passing through? How about someone who stop talking to a friend or family member because they took offense to a misconstrued comment?

It seems that often we are great at living the gospel and following the example of Christ until a trial comes, or someone offends us, or things just don’t go our way.

We forget that principles like repentance, forgiveness, love, compassion, faith, endurance, and patience are to help us when these hard times come. When we need these principles most in our lives, we abandon them.

I think of the principles of the gospel as tools that can be placed in our toolbelt. I hope that when each of us encounters a difficult situation, that we will be humble and wise enough to pull the tool that we need from our toolbelt and use it to make the best of any situation and get us through any trial.

It made me think of Jesus Christ and how He endured. As we go through trials and apply the principles of the gospel, we too can progress just as Christ did. This poem was inspired by the aforementioned situation.

“Jesus The Christ”

What made Jesus our “Shepherd”?
Was it leading the ninety and nine?
Or leaving these alone for the one to search and find.

And how was Jesus “Exemplar”?
By His smile when smiled at?
Or by patiently submitting when evil men upon Him spat.

What made Jesus “Savior”?
Was it happiness without loss?
Or was it being nailed upon the cold and wooden cross.

And how was Jesus “Anointed”?
By trumpet and song all day?
Or by three humble wise men as He sleep on manger hay.

How became Jesus “Messiah”?
Was it kindness he was shown?
Or was it bearing pain and grief from sins not of His own.

I call Jesus “Redeemer”
Why call him such a thing?
Because He earned the title by descending below all things.

The good of life, the ease and joy
Did not Him the label bring
Of Jesus the “Anointed One”, “Messiah”, “Savior”,”King”

But suffering the pain of men
Bearing persecution all His life
Spilling blood and sweat and many tears
This made Him “Jesus The Christ”.

May we use the tools of the gospel as Christ did to become more like him and navigate every difficult, and beautiful, situation.

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