“One act of thanksgiving, when things go wrong with us, is worth a thousand thanks when things are agreeable to our inclinations” (Saint John of Avila).

That’s the litmus test, isn’t it? It’s not how loud you can praise God when everything’s going right and all your traffic lights are green. It’s when you’re in a valley or going through an illness or suffering and can still sing a hallelujah that you show where your allegiance truly lies.

The best kind of testimony is to have everything go wrong and still say with Job, “Yet though He slay me, still will I trust in Him.”

Jesus said when you suffer, not if. The expectation is that suffering and hardships are inevitable not optional. You will have trials. You will suffer. But you won’t be alone.

People expect Christians to hate those who hate them, but when those believers can love their enemies just as Jesus commanded, the world takes notice.

People expect Christians to complain or give up when their world collapses, but when the true followers of Jesus can still praise God in the midst of suffering and pain, people watching know that their faith is real and the hope they offer is real.

No one ever chooses hardship. No one ever wants suffering. But those who go through the valley with even the tiniest amount of faith find that God is with them every single step of the way.