We all experience trials and changes in our lives. Hurt, pain, frustration, boredom, despair, rejection, failure—no matter what the depth, they all seem to hurt nonetheless. These are negative feelings, as Dr. Julie Stafford says, "that clutter our journey through life instead of complementing the road we choose to travel. It's these negative feelings that cause us to see situations as small or large crises instead of stepping stones to some higher achievement."

Negative feelings can take away the quality of our lives. We have been given a choice in life—we can either create obstacles or we can create opportunities.

Our character is the most important asset in our life—knowing God's truth is a "pearl of great price," a treasured possession. But harboring negative thoughts in our minds can create crippling effects. Each negative thought has an automatic negative reaction, which eventually snowballs into a dangerous destructive path.

We can't always change our current situation. Maybe you have a serious illness or a loved one has died. Perhaps you suffer from a weight problem, money problem or a feeling of neglect and failure. In most cases these situations automatically create negative, down feelings and emotions. But it's up to us as to how long we will allow negative thoughts to attack our minds. The longer they are there, the more we start believing them, and eventually our actions prove our thoughts.

Say, for instance, a close friend breaks up with you. The emotions you experience at that time may include anger, sadness, hurt, pain, perhaps even depression and rejection. These are automatic! But what would happen if you considered the opportunity you have been given through this trial to flip a negative into a positive? Take time to think and pray about what happened and how this affects you. Ask God to clear your clouded vision and heal your pain.

Pray for your friend too. He or she is human as well and also experiences pain. Find something nice to say to this person—perhaps send an e-mail or card. Ask God to help you forgive and love with all your heart. Put a smile on your face and tell yourself that "this too shall pass," and cast all your care upon God (1 Peter 5:7). Eventually your whole attitude will change and you'll be a happier person. Isn't that better than holding on to negativity and maliciously breeding angry thoughts?

No matter what we do, life will constantly throw curve balls at us. We are not able to walk a life totally free from trials, and this can inject the fear that something will happen every step of the way. However, we do have a choice in the way we deal with circumstances and what we allow our mind to dwell upon.

James tells us to count it all joy when we fall into various trials (James 1:2). With the right attitude, trials develop us, building righteous, godly character. We have to learn to endure a trial, stick it out and recognize that it is a growth opportunity. We can ask God to show us the lessons we need to learn while facing each trial head on. What's more, we can search for various opportunities that help us learn to serve others while keeping our minds off ourselves. Find out who's sick or in the hospital, who's depressed or suffering a loss—call them, visit them, send a card. Seeing other people's trials can make ours seem so minor in comparison.

After all, we need trials (Acts 14:22). It is through trials that we will enter the Kingdom of God. We need them for compassion and love towards others. We need them for strength, growth and purification of ourselves, and we need them for praise, honor and devotion towards God (1 Peter 1:6-7).

Take control of the trial. Don't let the trial take control of you, causing bad attitudes and negative thoughts, stumbling blocks and vulnerability.

Rather, remember that God will never give you more than you can handle. And He has blessed us with a Helper every step of the way to grant us comfort and peace (John 14:16). God reassures us that "the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us" (Romans 8:18).

So, let's take hold of the hope we have that God is working with us by molding and shaping our character on a daily basis. We can be positive that we are in His loving, merciful hands, encompassed by His unconditional love—He will never let us go. "Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ" (Philippians 1:6).

As Mary Stevenson recorded in her famous inspirational poem "Footprints in the Sand," let us keep in mind that God loves us dearly and will walk with us every step of our journey.

"My son, my precious child,
I love you and I would never leave you.
During your times of trial and suffering,
when you see only one set of footprints,
it was then that I carried you."