Dealing with Adversity
1. Adversity Is a Valuable Part of Life! Proverbs 17:3 tell us us: The Refining Pot is for silver and gold, and the furnace for pure Gold, but God the Lord tries the heart! God writes His words on our hearts, which feed the mind. A renewed mind is like the Kingdom of Heaven, pure Gold. Adversity is refining pot of life. The tribes of Israel did not handle the adversity in the desert; therefore, they continued to circle Mount Sinai, the mountain of adversity! Adversity is created by the rejection of God’s provisions.
- Adversity in our lives is an opportunity to be purified or not. That means it can be good or bad. Adversity is good, it is the reaction to adversity that brings good or bad result. If adversity brings fear, anxiety, worry, anger, frustration, impatience, work, whining, and more- then it is bad! If It bring patience, love, caring, wanting to help, love, laughter, and living abundantly, then it is GOOD.
- In adversity, accept responsibility for your contribution to the situation. Remember: in Jesus, there is no condemnation, once you accept that You are the Righteousness of God through Jesus Christ, you are made a New Man through the power of Salvation (Romans 1:17); therefore, when we sin we are to repent, acknowledge the reason you are repenting (repent – turn from wrongs and turn to Righteousness. Righteousness is not about doing right but is about right believing, which produces right doing)- the word in Greek is metanoia meaning to “Change your mind.”
- Trying to figure out reasons for adversity is an exercise in futility and foolishness. Jesus was asked, “why is the man blind? Was it his sins, or the sins of his parents?” Jesus replied, “Neither, it was so God might be Glorified, today!” Why do we have adversity? See #1. It is the refining of our hearts.
- Adversity blindsides us – Therefore we immediately seek answers to “what did I do?” This is wrong thinking! Right thinking – Ask your Counselor Jesus Christ – Seek His wisdom – Knock on His door of understanding. Go to your private place and stay there until you have answers. Listen to His words, and he will provide pathways for you. Jesus said, “I came to give you life, and not just life but Life Abundantly.” That means in this life we will be “purified and qualified.” Proverbs – “Fools flee from adversity but The Righteous are Bold as Lions”.
- Satan through Adversity attacks two things: Abundance of Grace and The Gift of Righteousness.
When adversity comes, the evil see it as an opportunity to attack the abundance of Grace and the gift of righteousness. Trying to convince believers that they are unworthy of the abundance of Grace, and cannot receive the Gift of righteousness – but because they have failed in their works, their doings, their rejection of God’s provisions. We hear those words in our heads: “Your Faith is not strong enough!” Or as Jesus said, “Oh, you of little faith.” The word faith is the same word as is used for belief. Jesus was saying Believe in My provisions, Believe in Me and nothing else. The evil one is trying to take our eyes off of Jesus. Stop. Put your eyes back on Jesus and His finished works. As a believer You are His Finished Works through the Power of Salvation.