It’s been a while! I feel like I’ve
written that line too often in this space. I have a good excuse though, don’t
worry. It’s fall at work, and that means it’s budget season. Due to some
unexpected departures from our organization, I’ve had an extraordinarily full
plate over the past few weeks. Despite this weekly workload, I managed to find
a Church home here in Murfreesboro. I can’t wait to get to know the congregants
better and involve myself in the ministry and mission of the Church. I trust
that the Lord has also been faithful in your life since we last spoke.
The
extra responsibilities I’m taking on with the Company budget are really a
double-edged sword. On one hand, it is an opportunity to shine for management
and turn an uncertain situation into a positive one. Conversely the added
workload also brings the potential to become overwhelmed. Over the past few weeks, I’ve felt that I was
firmly in the first camp. I felt I was succeeding in pushing the project
forward. Successes in the project were tangible, but that didn’t prevent some
frustration from other team members today. I went from feeling good about my
role in the project to feeling overwhelmed and that I’d let the company down in
a matter of mere minutes.
It
was a bad day at work – we’ve all been there (If you’ve never been there,
comment below – I’d like to apply for your job!). It happens – it will happen
again, I’m sure. So how do we handle adversity as followers of Christ? I think
this question is worth hashing out. I believe our response to this question
reveals the nature of our personal relationship with the Godhead.
To
properly handle adversity, we must first adjust how we think of adversity. We
must learn to think of adversity as having meaning. God never promises that
things will go well all the time. (If you’re
looking for the prosperity Gospel, you’ve come to the wrong blog). In fact,
adversity is a very biblical principle. Ever read the Book of Job? That man
endured trials that make our daily stumbles seem meaningless. It took a while,
but Job eventually came to understand the meaning of his adversity. Many
different meanings can be found in adversity. However, the ultimate meaning is
that adversity points out our need for a savior. While God didn’t promise that
every day would go our way, he did make one very important promise revealed in
John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world
that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Amen!
Secondly,
we must come to understand that enduring adversity is part of God’s plan for salvation.
God reveals this to His people in Matthew 24: 12-13: “And because iniquity
shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure
unto the end, the same shall be saved”. Like Job and so many other Biblical
figures, adversity will no doubt be a constant in our lives. It’s simply an
inescapable reality. Fortunately, there is a means to help us endure adversity
when it strikes. It’s none other than the third person of the Holy Trinity –
the Holy Spirit. When we place a sincere trust in Christ and his work on the
cross, God Himself (in the form of the Holy Spirit) comes to dwell within
us. We learn why this is significant in
John 10:28: “I give them eternal life,
and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand”. Furthermore, Ephesians 4:30 reveals: “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by
whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” Yes, you read that correctly.
At the point in which the Holy Spirit dwells within you, no trial, tribulation,
or bout of adversity can separate you from the grace of God and the victory
which was won on Calvary. We don't endure adversity ourselves, but rather God handles adversity by coming to dwell within us. Next time a little adversity hits, take rest in God’s
promise of perseverance (The P in the TULIP acronym – for those familiar with Reformed
theology). I’ll have to do an entire blog post on the perseverance of the
saints one of these days.
I
often hear people say that “Satan is attacking them”. I’ve honestly never been
a fan of this phrase. Satan wasn’t attacking me at work today, things just didn’t
go my way on this particular day – and that’s ok! In the short run, it may make
me feel better to think that God will make tomorrow a better day. However, he doesn’t promise that tomorrow will
be better. I have to remember the promise of John 3:16 and move forward with a
positive attitude that reflects my faith in Christ. Even if Satan is attacking me now, it is
rendered null and void by the victory of Jesus Christ. When we are in Christ
and a living temple of the Holy Spirit, nothing – not even a little adversity –
can keep us from the glory of everlasting life that awaits us.
In Christ,
Kendal May
