Dealing with Adversity

                                                          By Truman E. Spring

Many people would probably like to close their eyes and then open them and all the problems of life--no longer be present.  But that’s not the way it is.   We cannot run from our problems.  And since our way of life is changing, we must equip ourselves to live with the changing conditions.   

Christianity is designed for the individual to be able to live and to cope with the situation.  Every situation in life presents its challenges. None of us would elect suffering, pain and tribulation as character-builders. We would probably go for an easier and shorter route to building character.   But yet, such is necessary in the building of character.  God’s concern is for our character.  If he were primarily interested in our comfort, He might have arranged for us to live where there are fewer pains and problems but His desire is for the development of the inner man. His desire is for the refinement of a wholesome character.  

David said that “it is good that I am afflicted that I might learn Thy statutes” Psalm 119:71.  To the Christians in Rome, Paul said, “We grow in tribulations also knowing that tribulations work patience and patience brings experience and experience brings hope”.(Romans 5:3-4)  The verse goes on to say, “hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us”.  In other words, as we grow and hold on during trials we will find ourselves with an experience that leads to a sense of hope.  And that hope will not let us down.  Once you get to hope, then the LOVE of God will begin to take root in your hearts through the Holy Ghost.  

That is a great reward for enduring the trials sent our ways.  Have you ever found yourself stopping short of a goal? Only to learn later that you were only a few steps away? Did you dig in far enough?   

I am reminded of a story of a little boy whose aunt kept hearing him fall out of bed during the night.  “Honey, why did you keep falling out of bed?  I heard you all night”.  “Well, Aunt Susan”, he replied, “I guess I never got in far enough”.  Some of us never allow the working of the Holy Ghost to take hold during a trial.  So many of us stop short  at praying for “patience” and forget to pray for the next step of “experience” which leads to hope and then to the gift of the Holy Ghost shedding love into our hearts.  

In life there will be hills and valleys, trials and tribulations.   But remember, it is the trials and tribulations that test us and that indicate the amount of faith we have in God’s holy word.  Peter admonished “Christians should suffer as a Christian” (I Peter 4:16) and James said “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations” (James 1:2). 

Yes, there are reasons behind God allowing our faith to be tested.  May we have the faith to endure and to become stronger as we deal with trials and adversities.