Adversity: A Routine Test

Introduction: 

Welcome my friend,

Indeed we would have loved life to be all rosy, full of good tidings and happy endings; so that we wouldn't have to have conversations like this.

Yet because it isn't, today's time here will be spent encouraging anyone who may be going through it at this point. 

Unlike our most recent talks where we've explored different aspects of our human relationships, this is aimed at giving someone here with us a lift, as they try to navigate through the challenges of life, one day at a time. 

If you're this person, please open your heart to these words. 

Don't feel that what you're going through is tougher or deeper than the comfort this may offer. 

Truth is, although our circumstances may vary, pain or suffering impacts us all the same way.

Leaving us emotionally and mentally drained until we have no physical strength left because we've lost the will to do anything else. 

This is quite relatable, so you're not alone. 

Even those having the time of their lives at the moment have at some point experienced this and may still do because it's simply the nature of a believer's reality. 

Tough times are therefore routine checks that test us and our faith. 

So let's take a closer look at them as a way of learning how to go through them with the right attitude, so that like fine steel the flames of life can make us glow rather than burn us. 

Discussion:

When we talk about adversity what we're really referring to are those extraordinarily trying times and circumstances in life when we find ourselves overwhelmed by so much pain than we've ever seen before. 

In this we mean those desperate situations where we may find ourselves contemplating if death may be a better alternative than what we're facing, (surely some people take that route) a hopeless situation. 

Here, we're not referring to having a mere bad situation, usually it's seeing a series of them hit us all at once, to leave us completely shattered and lost.

This is what makes it a big deal; a responsibility to respond rightly or get consumed. 

■ The Source Of Our Adversity 

Most people argue that if God was really good then there'll be no pain and suffering. 

Yet nothing can be further far from the truth.

Some trying situations occur because it's natural for such things to happen; for instance, death. 

Other times circumstances play out as consequences of our actions or that of others connected to us directly or indirectly.  

When we find ourselves in these situations we're reminded that it doesn't mean we're unfortunate or unlucky. 

It just means that we've been challenged to become better than we've ever been in order to surmount something bigger than we ever faced.

■ How Adversity Shows Up In Our Lives

As we go through life, we may find ourselves in situations that shake us to the core, sometimes pushing us to question everything that we've ever believed in. 

Some of them include; 

▪︎ The Death Of A Loved One 

When a person dies, so do all the plans we've made with them and the promises we thought we would have kept. 

This can be really painful. 

The sudden death of a loved one leaves us without closure as we find ourselves muttering words we wished we would have loudly said to them. 

This can be crushing. 

When we lose a companion or confidant it can have us doubting our ability to carry on with life without them by our side.

So how do we recover from this?

▪︎ A Failed Relationship 

To become strangers with our favourite person is more heartbreaking than it's awkward. 

To see the one we love move into the arms of another, having turned their backs on us, makes us feel rejected which can trigger feelings of unworthiness.  

This is a tough situation to experience. 

When the one we gave everything throws it all on our face with their acts of betrayal, how do we get over the shock?

▪︎ A Failed Business 

When a business fails, all the money, time, effort and every such resource put into it goes down the drain. 

This can be too much to bear. 

When our best or worst financial decisions and efforts lead us into bad debt, and accumulated late bills, how do we find a way to keep our head above water? 

▪︎ A Near Death Experience 

To survive an accident where we lost some of the abilities we had before it, can be life changing. 

To leave home hale and hearty only to wake up in the hospital to news that we may now be somewhat disabled is an experience that can alter our reality forever.

When we wake up to the reality that we've lost our career or livelihood because of an impairment from an accident, where do we find the courage to keep living? 

▪︎ A Terminal Illness 

To suddenly develop a life threatening illness and to live through all the bodily pains that come with it is an experience that the bravest of us have had to face. 

If the doctor tells us that we have limited time to live, where do we find the grace to live out those remaining days to bless others rather than do things that'll take them along with us?  

■ Responding To Adversity 

When hit by life's tough tests each of us would react differently, but as believers there is only one way for us to respond rightly to adversity. 

A way that provides the answers to all the questions we asked as we discussed how adversity shows up in our lives. 

Truth is, no matter what we're facing, whether it's the death of a loved one, a huge setback or any other form of suffering we didn't even mention, the assurance of God's love gives us a shot at salvation; that is, his redemption and restoration. 

This is the believers' assurance to go through dark moments with confidence and hope knowing that in due time (after we've learned the lessons he wants us to) God will pull us out of it. 

As his servants, adversity for us, is a purposeful character development exercise where we learn empathy for others having been made to walk in their shoes. 

It's also a time we build our faith in God as we watch him pull us out of things we were sure would drown us. 

However, when we respond by rejecting God because he shouldn't have allowed our bad circumstances in the first place, we let what should have built us, tear us down.

When we reject God, we also walk away from his promises so that our adversity lingers longer than necessary or finally destroys us.

The choice is ours but God is always waiting, willing to help us out if we can humbly lean on him. 

Summary:

In the midst of our tough times, words like these may provide some form of encouragement and support but our problems will still be there. 

Quite rightly, because some things take time and our challenges don't go away overnight. 

However, in these words we find the wisdom to adapt the right mindset, so that through it all we can endure in peace and joy knowing that we're simply undergoing a period of transformation towards becoming better versions of ourselves. 

Adversity humbles us as we watch God pull  us out of situations we knew we never could have saved ourselves from. 

When all our good planning fails, we learn that the perfect plan is found in the humility of absolutely following God's will for our lives.

Master Apprentice.

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