Monday, August 13, 2012
Romans 5:3-4 We also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.
ADVERSITY IN THE CHRISTIAN'S LIFE
When our Heavenly Father allows hardship and difficulty to enter our lives, it is not always easy to respond by saying to Him, "Your will be done." In the Bible, we learn of Joseph who faced a lot of trouble and yet in the end he was able to recognize that God's will was for the best.
Joseph faced a lot of trouble early in his life. His brothers hated him, planned to murder him, and ended up selling him to some traders on their way to Egypt. He was sent away against his will to another country and another culture.
But you know what, it wasn't all bad for him to face this adversity. Why? Because Joseph had had a hand in bringing some of this hardship on himself! Think about it. When his father played favorites by giving him a special colored coat to wear, Joseph couldn't leave it alone. He enraged his already jealous brothers by telling them about a dream he had which indicated that they would all bow down to him one day.
There are times when the trouble we get into is of our own making. Times when we face hardship because we have ignored God's advice and instruction in a particular area, or haven't even stopped long enough to listen to it. (One thinks of all the family and relationship problems in the world that are caused or made worse when men and women don't pay any attention to God's blueprint for marriage.) When the adversity we face is caused by our own sin, it can serve as discipline, reminding us that it's a serious and dangerous thing to fail to follow our God. Certainly after he was sold into slavery Joseph had some time to think about the role his own actions had played in the troubles he faced. This wasn't a bad thing for him. The next time he came into contact with his brothers, we find that he had matured considerably.
Other times the hardship we face is not directly of our own making, but it is also used by God to strengthen us. The Apostle Paul wrote to the Romans (5:3-4), "We also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope."
Is adversity then a good thing? Well, in a perfect world there would be none. But God still has a way of using it to serve His purposes. May He cause the adversity we face to be to His glory.
