The Habit of Enjoying Adversity
“ … that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.” 2 Corinthians 4:10
We all face adversity. If you haven’t ever faced it, please email me immediately! I need to talk to you J As Christians, we face adversity from a different perspective than the world. In fact, James 1:2 from the Phillips Translation says that we can welcome adversity (trials) as our friends!
Oswald Chambers puts this all into perspective for us:
We have to develop godly habits to express what God’s grace has done in us. It is not just a question of being saved from hell, but of being saved so that “the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.” And it is adversity that makes us exhibit His life in our mortal flesh. Is my life exhibiting the essence of the sweetness of the Son of God, or just the basic irritation of “myself” that I would have apart from Him?
The only thing that will enable me to enjoy adversity is the acute sense of eagerness of allowing the life of the Son of God to evidence itself in me. No matter how difficult something may be, I must say, “Lord, I am delighted to obey You in this.” Instantly, the Son of God will move to the forefront of my life, and will manifest in my body that which glorifies Him.
You must not debate. The moment you obey the light of God, His Son shines through you in that very adversity; but if you debate with God, you grieve His Spirit (see Ephesians 4:30). You must keep yourself in the proper condition to allow the life of the Son of God to be manifested in you, and you cannot keep yourself fit if you give way to self-pity.
Our circumstances are the means God uses to exhibit just how wonderfully perfect and extraordinarily pure His Son is. Discovering a new way of manifesting the Son of God should make our heart beat with renewed excitement. It is one thing to choose adversity, and quite another to enter into adversity through the orchestrating of our circumstances by God’s sovereignty. And if God puts you into adversity, He is adequately sufficient to “supply all your need” (Philippians 4:19).
Keep your soul properly conditioned to manifest the life of the Son of God. Never live on your memories of past experiences, but let the Word of God always be living and active in you. – Oswald Chambers – My Utmost for His Highest (May 14th)
Are you facing adversity in your life today, brother? If so, thank God for it and allow Him to use it in your life for His glory and your good. Ask Him to change your perspective. – Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s KESWICK
Dig This Quote: We come to Jesus Christ: and He does for us what He promised; and the thing works out. To our amazement, it works out. And then we settle down. We have had our own first-hand and irrefutable experience. But, instead of opening the windows to the glory of the sunshine so evidently there, instead of being incited to a hugeness of faith by what Christ has already done for us, we can’t believe that there can be anything more, or that even He can work, for us, anything better. That first foretaste satisfies us. And so we camp for life out on the confines of the Kingdom, and never press on to inherit what is there and meant for us. Arthur John (A. J.) Gossip
Determined Digging: Level 1: John 7:38; Level 2: Isaiah 9:6-8
Determined Praying: God doesn’t have favorites but He does have intimates. – Michael Catt
Freedom Fighters 