When Adversity Knocks

 

 

ad·ver·si·ty -a condition marked by misfortune, calamity, or distress: an adverse or unfortunate event or circumstance.   Synonyms: catastrophe, disaster; trouble, misery, tribulation, calamity, affliction, adversity, misfortune, trial

Adversity hits everyone. If you are alive then you have, or will at some point, face trouble in your life. It comes in all different forms, from different places, at different times and for different reasons.

Some people seem to have entire seasons of adversity. Some will have a short onset of trouble that seems to pass quickly.

As I have been thinking about the role that adversity plays in our lives I have been reminded that while we have little to no control when or how it comes we do have control over how we react.

Will you (or I) allow it to destroy you/me? Will we destroy others in the process? Will it weaken us? Make us stronger? Will we choose to lash out and hurt others because we have been hurt?

My prayer is that adversity would make me more like Christ. Regardless of how or why it comes I want to react in such a way that it leaves me better for having gone through it. I also want to leave others around me better for having walked with me. I want those around me to be encouraged as they see me live through adversity.

I want my life to be a life of righteousness. To be a life that glorifies God. I want to be a child of God that welcomes the refiners fire, knowing as it  is said in Malachi 3:3 that “He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then the LORD will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness…”

I desire my character to be as such that when the refiner’s fire comes I will walk through it in a way that testifies to how big my God is. “O, Father I pray I would walk with my eyes fully on You! I pray that ‘in my day of trouble I will call to you, for you will answer me!” Ps 86:7

May this be true of me. May it be true of you. No matter whether it’s Satan asking to “sift us as wheat” (Luke 22:31), the fire of the refiner (Jer 9:7, Zech 13:9) or seemingly unfair circumstance that comes into our life may we all cry out to our Father who hears and answers us.

How will you choose to walk through adversity? Will you come through purified, leaving a sweet smelling aroma? Will you call on the name of Jesus?

Or will you allow it to harden your heart or destroy you and those around you? Will you try to handle it in your own strength and fight the battle in your own way?

I want to encourage you with the words from “Call on Jesus” by Nicole C. Mullen

But when I call on Jesus
All things are possible
I can mount on wings like eagles and soar
When I call on Jesus
Mountains are gonna fall
'Cause He'll move heaven
And earth to come rescue me when I call

Call Him in the mornin'
In the afternoon time
Late in the evenin'
He'll be there
When your heart is broken
And you feel discouraged
You can just remember that He said
He'll be there