Stepping Out in RED Shoes!
- Day 113 -
There are Reasons for
Seasons of Adversity.
A friend of mine recently posted a question on facebook:
Adversity -- Does it make you weaker or stronger?
Don't get me wrong... I absolutely love the mountain top experience. When I find myself there, I do my best to celebrate it to the fullest! That's because I realized early on in my Christian walk that people don't grow on the mountaintop. They dance! They sing! They praise! They overflow! They rejoice! But they don't grow.
We also don't live on the mountaintop. It's more of a place we vacation when we've achieved the victory! Okay... stay with me here, I'm going someplace with all this. Reality is --
Life is filled with ups and downs
and most of the time, we're en route.
We're going through the valley. We're climbing up the mountain. We're picking ourself up after falling down. We're being tested right and left. And then, just when you think you can travel no further, you find yourself on the mountaintop again.
A Season of Adversity is a time of:
difficulty, challenge, misfortune, conflict, testing.
When you pass the test, resolve the conflict, learn the lesson, overcome the challenge and find peace in the difficulty, you move to the mountain top.
Adversity: Does it make you weaker or stronger?
My answer is: BOTH!
"Weaker" is merely ONE stone
on the path leading to "Stronger."
1. Adversity will always show you exactly where you really are in your Christian faith. You can talk the talk all you want, but adversity will put your walk on display for all to see. It's a test. It's always a test! Will you work through the difficulty? Will you step up to the challenge? Will you overcome the misfortune? Will you resolve the conflict? Will you go the distance? Will you pass the test?
Over the years, there have been a handful of occasions in which I thought my faith was strong and BOOM! Test Time! It was as if God was saying... "Let me show you how strong your faith is." Yikes! My grade was rarely as high as I expected. I guess you could say I was a bit over-confident.
That's okay though. When it was over, I knew exactly where I stood on matters. Suddenly, I saw the gap between where I needed to be and where I was and I could begin working to get there. I knew what was needed to get to the next level.
2. Adversity helps us identify with others in their challenges. I will be the first to admit that if I didn't face so many adversities, more times than not, I would judge others in ways I should not. Early in my walk with the LORD, I thought,
"If they only did this or that, things would be different in their lives."
"If they came to church more, their kids wouldn't be struggling with drugs."
"If they had better work ethics, they wouldn't be struggling for money."
"If their faith was stronger, they wouldn't sick all the time."
Blah - Blah - Blah.
Then the tides turned and I was faced with adversity. I found out the hard way that I had misjudged others. I was ashamed that I had jumped to conclusions and found myself repenting. That's when I discovered the true meaning of GRACE.
2. That said, Adversity presents opportunities for us to learn important lessons that are priceless! Why so often we must learn "the hard way," I don't know, but it happens. God doesn't waste our time of difficulty. He teaches us things.
3. Adversity also presents us with opportunities to be "more than conquerers" in Christ Jesus! These are times of STRETCHING. They force us to reach a little further, walk a little farther, go a little deeper, believe a little better, love a little harder. We didn't think we could, but we did! "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!" (Philippians 4:13) We surprise even ourselves. The underdog comes up from behind and wins!
4. Adversity gives us and others the opportunity to be a friend. We can reach out to others with the unconditional love of Jesus OR perhaps it is someone else reaching out to us with the love of Jesus. Sometimes when we're helpless, we actually let our guard down long enough for others to reach into our space and love us. You'd think that would be easy, wouldn't you? But sometimes we don't even realize that we are our own worst enemies. We don't let people love us. We're closed. Hmmm. Just something to think about.
5. Adversity is an opportunity for God to show His glory. We're human. We fall short. There are some things we just can't accomplish on our own -- God is needed! When the stage of life is desperate for a miracle, God shows up in the most unusual and unexpected ways! That's when the praise and glory -- all the applause --goes to Him.
6. Adversity sets us up for a Divine Encounter. More often than not, it's in times of adversity that we turn to God. -- We look in His Direction. -- We talk to Him. -- We give our lives to Him. -- We enter into covenants with Him. Really? Must we wait for adversity? Unfortunately, YES!
7. Of course, some may say that Adversity makes us weaker. Times of testing and difficulty aren't easy and they are anything but comfortable.
There's always going to be the temptation to
STOP in your tracks, SIT DOWN and GIVE UP.
DON'T!
God doesn't want us to plop ourselves down in discouragement and defeat. That's the devil's plan.
John 10:10 says it best...
"The thief comes to steal, kill and destroy,
but I (Jesus said) have come that you might
have life and have it to the fullest."
When people stop, they often get stuck! Sometimes they turn around and go home. They go back to where they started. They lose ground. NO! Adversity is an opportunity to "walk it out." -- To put our trust in Him. -- To stay steadfast. To stand on the promises of God. -- To hold on tight and enjoy the adventure. To let go of the fear and ride it out to completion to the glory of God!
As I step out in RED shoes each day, I know some days are going to be difficult. I might have to pick myself up off the ground. I might have an upward climb ahead of me -- a long upward climb. Seasons of Adversity will come! But God has a plan in place to use everything for my good. Sure, I may realize my weakness, but in Him -- I become strong!
"We know that in all things God works for
the good of those who love him,
who have been called according to His purpose."
Romans 8:28
In RED Shoes,
Gail
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