Celebrating Adversity

Sat in on a devotional this morning.  Theme: Celebrating Adversity.

If you get a chance to read the passages below, you can soak a bit in the connections for yourself.  In a nutshell, the challenge from Scripture is to celebrate adversity and the oportunities God gives in the midst of them, desptie them, and through them rather than taking the path of unbelief, complaining, and cynicism.

Perspective of heart is critical.  Faith is enhanced as we daily give thanks to God for His provision and for the adversity.  

We also need to share our struggles with each other for encouragement and prayer for wisdom and faith in midst of the difficulty.

I was also reading the first chapter of a book this morning on leadership (by Robert Clinton).  The theme there: Isolation...as a tool in God's hands for shaping leaders.  This isolation can come through crises, illness, persecution, discipline, self-choice or providential circusmtances to shape our inner person.

In all of this I was reflecting on the season at hand for our family (and share all of this as each of you are in a similar place).  I am reminded that, instead of falling for the temptation to criticize, complain (against God, institutions, organizations, or governments), grumble--instead of letting  my heart drift away from a place of faith, to rather realize that God is in control.  This adversity is not beyond His reach.  In fact, it has been allowed by Him and therefore is to be used by Him in shaping me more into His likeness. 

Personally, this is a sort of stirring-of-the-nest.  What has become familiar and safe, is now uncomfortable.  I am being prodded to step out, to trust Him more deeply, and thus realize my potential in Him more fully.  A season in which, if not all these things coming to an end as I have known them, I may never dare to step out in the things that are now stirring.  God knows I hesistate to leave the place of provision and familiarity.  More directly, to step into risky ventures that require qualification beyond both my perceived and actual capabilities or strengths, not to mention my confidence in Christ-in-Me.

Today's challenge: to gather with whomever you can, whenever you can, for three simple purposes.  

1. Simply begin by each giving thanks to God for His provision
2. Pray out an acknowledgment of your current adversity and thank God for it
3. Then have the others pray for wisdom and faith for you to walk in and through the difficulty.

Passages for reflection:

• Numbers 11 (consider how the people of God responded to adversity)
• Hebrews 3:7-4:2 (consider the  writer's challenge in how we respond to adversity)
• Ephesians 1:3-14 (Hear Paul's love for the Gospel message, and then in the next passage, his embrace of adversity because of that love)
• Ephesians 3:1-13 (listen for Paul's use of the tones and words "prisoner" and "sufferings" and "servant")