Adversity

No one ever wants to face adversity. When it comes we often beg God to make it go away but there are times when we must endure. Since so many of our favorite Bible stories are about men and women overcoming adversity, perhaps adversity is a good thing. (Romans 8:28)

Joseph was a tattletale seventeen year old strutting around in his fancy coat as dad's favorite telling everyone about his dreams of grandeur. His dreams were accurate but he did not know that God's plan was for him to save his family and run the country of Egypt. To be ready for that he had to enter a time of pruning, getting a little pride taken out, and learning to see God's favor even in adversity.

Esther, Nehemiah, David, Paul...all these and others were put in situations they could not control. Sometimes it was facing enemies close at hand, sometimes foreign kings and armies, sometimes it was there own health. Hebrews 11 is a review of a bunch of people commended for faithfully serving God through adversity when they could not yet see the fulfillment of the promises of God. I like it that people in the Bible faced difficult circumstances so I can learn how to face them in my own life. 

I don't know where we got the idea that life is supposed to be pain and conflict free, suffering free. We all have seasons of peace and rest and seasons of adversity. The Bible tells us that we must suffer as Christ suffered (Romans 5:3-5, Philippians 3:7-10) We very rarely have adversity, or suffering, for our faith. Rather much, but certainly not all, of our adversity and suffering is of our own doing with poor choices in finances, friends, lifestyle, or eating habits.