Where are these trials from?

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Student09

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Ever since I started RCIA I have been struggling with continual interior and exterior trials (both at the same time). I realized yesterday that, with the exception of the very overt spiritual attacks that happened at the beginning, where it was just obvious who they were coming from, I have been thinking about these trials as if they came from God, but maybe that’s not true. Are these trials coming from God to test me, or are they from Satan and he is trying to make me think they’re from God? Or some of both?

I feel like it would help me to keep going if I had a better idea what was actually going on.
 
The way I see it, it’s less important where the obstacle comes from. What’s important is to overcome it.

But it would be useful if you tried to go into more detail. What kind of trials are you refering to ?
 
Erethorn said:
What kind of trials are you referring to ?
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Assorted health problems, physical injuries, traumatic memories, doubts/fears about the Church related to past trauma, relationships falling apart or becoming difficult, isolation, painful aridity in prayer, I guess you get the idea.
 
I work with RCIA at our parish. Many people (including myself, the person who sponsored me, the person I sponsored last year, the person my husband is sponsoring this year…) go through this. Think, does the devil really want you to enter into the one true Church? To receive the Sacraments and get all the extra graces to be drawn towards God? No! So, you have to fight though this. It always makes me realize that the Catholic Church is the one true Church…why else does it get attacked so much??? So, pray, pray, pray. Also, ask the priest to bless you with some Holy Water. Maybe even take some home. The guy my husband is sponsoring was waking up at 3am with nightmares every night. After we had him blessed and taught him the St. Michael prayer, he slept much better. Also, consider a devotion to St. Michael and/or St. Benedict. Good luck…you can persevere!
 
Student09 said:
Assorted health problems, physical injuries, traumatic memories, doubts/fears about the Church related to past trauma, relationships falling apart or becoming difficult, isolation, painful aridity in prayer, I guess you get the idea.
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The way I see it, there’s no way to be sure, whether any of these come from God, the devil or they are simply things that happen to you, without being “sent your way” by one party or another.

What is important, though, is how you deal with these things. You spoke of health problems. It just so happens, that I go through something similar this very moment. Yesterday I came up with a simptom that could be indicative of some very serious conditions. I am very scared.

Today, I felt the need to pray about it. I almost never pray for anything but forgiveness of my sins, faith and humility. I feel bad about asking God for more mundane things, like, for example, health or finance problems, though I have both at present. I feel I should endure whatever He wishes.

However, like I said, I am very scared. So I went into my parish Church, and prayed to Mother Mary. At first, in keeping with what I said above, I simly prayed for the power to endure whatever shoul happen to me. But then I felt the need to bring my fear into it, and my wish for this situation to pass away, and my concerns about not being worthy to ask for health, and my sorrow for having offended God and Jesus and Her with my sins, and my concerns that perhaps my reluctance to ask for health was a way of being too proud, and on it went. However, in the end, it turned out to be a very meaningful prayer experience, and I felt like The Blessed Virgin really listened to me and I could really feel Her love.

So, for the time being, I feel that this problem, wherever it might come from, has helped me to better comunicate with Mother Mary, and for that I am very grateful.
 
All suffering, comes from our fallen human nature. Ultimately, satan. Although we have been redeemed and saved from all evil, we still have free will, and can choose to not accept this loving gift from God(when we sin). God is love, he can not directly make us suffer, but he can allow us to be tested by satan and sometimes satan works double-time regardless of God’s intent, especially when there’s an oppurtunity to grow closer to God in the sacraments. God wants you to rely on Him and His Love. He doesn’t want us to go through stuggles to prove oursleves to Him, so we might be worthy(No one is worthy, ONLY CHRIST). He wants us to go through trials so we can CHOOSE to humbly go through them with His help and Grace. We cannot rely soley upon our self will, we must learn to turn to God and His will with everything, good and bad, enthusiastic or indifferent. He will help you through it, Beleive it!!! Ask and you shall recieve. Knock and it shall be opened. God Bless and God Speed.
 
whether these trials are from God or the devil, remember that God is still in charge and has allowed them as trials for you… try to grow from them 🙂 and remember they might also be the devil’s attempts to stop you from joining the Church… I’ve heard SO many stories of this happening to people… and it happened to me too! don’t give up 🙂

I tend to agree with Erethorn, - in the end what matters is persevering through these trials
 
Arianna09 said:
The guy my husband is sponsoring was waking up at 3am with nightmares every night.
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This happened to me when I started RCIA - demonic nightmares like nothing I’ve ever had before. I did start a devotion to St. Michael but it’s been slipping lately. A friend of mine who doesn’t believe in an actual devil, suggested the nightmares were from God and that idea horrified me so much it made me want to just give up (but I didn’t). How could evil like that come from God? I know it is not true.

So actually, some of the responses on this thread kind of bother me … those who are saying “it doesn’t really matter if it’s from God or the devil” - Yes, it does matter! There is a huge difference. If it’s from God, then I feel that I cannot trust God and He just wants me to suffer. If it’s from the devil, then I can fight knowing that God is on my side.

I guess that, as in the Book of Job, God will allow Satan to test us, and He will not allow anything that we can’t handle with His help. That is still very different from God being the cause of the trials directly.
 
TxPatriot281 said:
God is love, he can not directly make us suffer, but he can allow us to be tested by satan and sometimes satan works double-time regardless of God’s intent, especially when there’s an oppurtunity to grow closer to God in the sacraments. God wants you to rely on Him and His Love…
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This is helpful, thank you.
 
Student09 said:
This happened to me when I started RCIA - demonic nightmares like nothing I’ve ever had before. I did start a devotion to St. Michael but it’s been slipping lately. A friend of mine who doesn’t believe in an actual devil, suggested the nightmares were from God and that idea horrified me so much it made me want to just give up (but I didn’t). How could evil like that come from God? I know it is not true.

So actually, some of the responses on this thread kind of bother me … those who are saying “it doesn’t really matter if it’s from God or the devil” - Yes, it does matter! There is a huge difference. If it’s from God, then I feel that I cannot trust God and He just wants me to suffer. If it’s from the devil, then I can fight knowing that God is on my side.

I guess that, as in the Book of Job, God will allow Satan to test us, and He will not allow anything that we can’t handle with His help. That is still very different from God being the cause of the trials directly.
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I tend to think that in cases like this, God allows the devil to tempt the person, rather than causing the trials directly… .but if He is causing the trials, I don’t think that’s to make us suffer, (above all we should trust in His goodness :)) but to test us and make our faith stronger… and to allow us to share in His sufferings. We are more worthy to receive consolations than to share in Christ’s suffering 🙂 He reserved the greatest spiritual sufferings for the Saints. IN ANY CASE, He is on our side… 🙂 God does everything for our ultimate best.

God bless
 
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