Handle Adversity Successfully

It has been said that life is 10% of what happens to you and 90% of how you react to what happens to you.  The Bible tells us that in this life we will have trouble, and while we are on earth, we must expect that we will experience adversity from time to time.  No one is exempt from it.  Knowing that it will come is not enough; we must be prepared to handle it successfully so that we get the best results possible.

We need to look at adversity as an opportunity to do something different – something that just might propel you into your God-given destiny.  It would be easy to ignore the problem for as long as you can, but not dealing with the issue will not make it go away.  We must first acknowledge the problem and then decide to look our problems right in the face and deal with them.  We cannot give up.  Doing nothing is not an option.  We must have a mentality that we are going to seek God for the solution and then do what God tells us to do.  We must believe that God is with us right in the middle of our problem.  God has promised never to leave us nor forsake us, so if you have a problem, God is right there in the middle of it with you.  The Bible tells us that God is a present help in the time of trouble.  God will bless you while you are dealing with your problem.  God wants you to win.  He is on your side.  He will give you the resources to overcome if you choose to ask Him for guidance.  He will order your steps.  He will open doors that no one else could possibly open for you.  He loves you that much.

The worst that happens to you can be the best thing for you if you do not let it get the best of you.  Many people have discovered that what looked liked the end for them, actually turned out to be a blessing.  They saw God working everything out for their good.  Adversities draw us closer to God because we understand that we are limited but there is nothing impossible for God.  God can turn it around in a moment and give you a testimony that will encourage others to have faith in God.

You cannot control what happens to you, but you can control your response to what happens.  Handle adversity in a way that honors your heavenly Father.  Remember, you can do all things through Christ who gives you the strength if you only believe.  Every time you fall down, get back up.  Never stop.  You may not have the answer but God does.  Successful people will tell you that their success came with a price; they had to keep going even when they thought they were laboring in vain.  Don’t become discouraged; others are watching you.  You will be the incentive they need when they see that your perseverance was the key to your victory.

God Has A Better Plan

Jeremiah 29:11 tells us that God has a plan for each one of us and that His plan is to prosper us, to give us peace, to give us hope, and above all, to give us a blessed future.  This is a promise from God, but the only way we will inherit that promise is to completely submit our will to the will of God.

The Bible tells us that God’s ways are not our ways nor are His thoughts the same as our thoughts, and this truth was evident in the biblical story of Gideon when he fought the Midianite army.  Gideon’s battle plan was based on having an army of 32,000 men, but God ultimately reduced that number down to just 300 men.  In the natural, God’s battle strategy looked hopeless but it wasn’t Gideon’s job to question God’s plan, it was Gideon’s responsibility to obey and do what God commanded him to do.  Because of Gideon’s submission and obedience to God, Gideon and his 300 men were victorious.

You might find yourself in the middle of something that looks humanly impossible to overcome, but God has a plan for you – a better plan, and if you will surrender, submit and possess an unwavering level of faith in Almighty God, you will see God begin to work everything out for your good.  Whatever Satan has meant to use to do you evil, God will turn it around.  There is nothing impossible with God.  Do not lose hope.  Do not settle for less than God’s best for you.  Trust your heavenly Father at all times and be confident of this one thing – that God loves you and He expects you to have the future that He has planned for you – a future better than you can even imagine.

“Not My Will”

Most of us want to do things the way we want to and when we went to, but the Bible teaches us that the mark of a true Christian is to do all things according to the will of God regardless if we agree with God or not.  Our Savior, Jesus Christ showed us that we have the power to submit to God’s will even at the most difficult times.  Jesus understood his purpose; he knew that his mission on earth would end at Calvary.  When the time came for him to make the ultimate sacrifice, and after asking his heavenly Father if this cup could pass from him, he submitted by saying ‘nevertheless, not my will but your will be done.’

If Jesus submitted even unto death, how can we, as children of God, refuse to obey God?  We must deny ourselves and take up our cross daily and follow Jesus.  That is what God desires from each of us – total obedience to His will.  It will not always be an easy thing to do, especially when God’s will conflicts with your own, but if you are to enjoy the blessings of God, you must submit to the will of God.

The ‘not my will’ mantle that Jesus left for believers is not to be taken lightly.  It is important to God, so it should be important to you and I.  If you have a heart for God, you will make this a priority in your life, and when you are faced with making a choice whether to pursue your own desires or to obey God, your response should echo that of Jesus Christ ‘nevertheless, not my will but your will be done.’

Fight the Good Fight

Parents go to great lengths to teach their children how not to fight.  It is a sign of maturity when you are able to walk away without fighting.  This rule has its merit in our society today, but as Christians we learn that in this life you will have to fight but the key is to fight the good fight of faith.

Adversity will come – it is a certainty, but the Bible tells you that you will be able to overcome any adversity if you stand firm in your faith.  The evil ones wants the child of God to lose his/her faith in God so he sends fiery darts into your life to make you doubt God and His Word.  God’s Word tells us to submit to God and to put on the whole armor of God in these evil days.  You will not be able to fight if you lose your faith.  Faith is the key and if you stop believing, Satan has got you right where he wants you.  That is why it is important that Believers spend time meditating on God’s Word.  When Satan tries to deceive you, you must speak God’s word; resit the devil and he will flee from you.  If you try to fight in your own strength, you will not win because we are not fighting flesh and blood.  You must fight using the weapons of warfare that your heavenly Father has given to you and when you have done all, stand firm because faith will cause you to be an overcomer every time.

Everything God has promised, He is faithful to fulfill that promise to you.  You are not in this fight alone because God has promised never to leave you.  He is with you 24/7 and whatever you are involved in, believe that He is also involved.  Keep the confession of your mouth positive and believe what God says because you walk by faith and not by sight.  Let no one steal from you.  God’s Word will encourage you and remember, the fight is fixed – because of Calvary you have already won.  Fight the good fight of faith until you hear ‘well done thy good and faithful servant.’

Are You Fully Persuaded?

There is a distinct difference between what you wish for and what you hope for.  A wish is a desire that something you want will take place, but with hope you are expecting your desire to come to pass.

Abraham was given a promise by God that one day he would become a father of many nations.  He believed in that promise, and lived in hope because he was fully persuaded that if God made the promise, He would keep His word and perform it.  If Abraham had simply wished that God would keep His promise, somewhere during those 25 years that he had to wait on God, he would have come to the conclusion that God had forgotten about him.  The fact that he continued to believe in spite of the physical condition of not only his body but also of his wife Sarah, is evidence that he did not stagger at the promise of God.  Abraham grew strong in his faith, and because of his faith in God, he received what God had promised.

Abraham’s story was written for our benefit.  If the children of God can become fully persuaded that God is faithful and will keep His promises, within the fullness of time, they will receive what they hope for.  Your hope, your faith in God will not only bless your life but it has the capability of blessing your children and your children’s children.  The question you must ask yourself is “am I willing to wait on God?”  Waiting is one of the hardest things you will have to do in this life, but with the help of the Holy Spirit you can and must do it.  If your faith is strong enough that you are fully persuaded that God will do what He has promised to do, the wait will be a small sacrifice compared to the glory that will be revealed to you all in God’s time.