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Overcoming Adversity

WHAT TO READ

If you seek wisdom from various books to overcome your situation, it’s important to note that if God is who you believe him to be, then above all the wisdom man can give, true wisdom comes from God. Every major point I make I will site with a Bible verse as a reference for you to take a look at. It’s important to separate people’s opinions from the truth. So as you seek wisdom, you should also seek God’s word straight from the Bible (Deuteronomy 8:3). Nowadays there is so much information and so many people seeking, posting and re-posting inspirational quotes. They are endless and it can be difficult to separate the self-serving (quotes that imply self-gratification above all else) from the fulfilling. Many of the quotes and supposed words of wisdom that live in abundance on the internet amount to foolishness to God(1 Corinthians 3:19). Just because a quote seems to make sense, or it comes from someone famous doesn't make it true.

Often times we tend to want to believe anything that tells us “what we feel is right” “do only what’s best for us”

WISDOM

So this is not to say that all advice offered to you is bad, but it’s a reminder that not all advice is good advice. Often times the truth and the things you need to hear will be difficult to accept because they expose a flaw in your judgement, character or personality. Often times we tend to want to believe anything that tells us “what we feel is right” “do only what’s best for us”. When it comes to books, there is an endless amount of books people can recommend to you, so be careful not to wear yourself out with your reading list and be selective. Ecclesiastes 12:11-12, can be paraphrased as saying: the words of wise people can help push you on, but the collected sayings of the wise can be traced back to the Bible. Beware of venturing too far beyond this (the Bible), there will be an endless amount of books, over studying can lead to weariness (King Solomon, one of the richest and wisest men who ever lived). To vet the wisdom that comes from others, James says wisdom inspired by God should be: peaceful, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy, impartial, sincere and results in good things (James 3:17).

EMOTIONS

To begin with, it’s important that you know your experience with your emotions are ok, people don’t talk about it much, but while Jesus was on earth, even he cried (John 11:35, Luke 19:41), felt sorrow (Matthew 26:37), felt anger (Mark 3:5) and was frustrated (Mark 8:12). So even if you’re close to God, you will experience sorrow here on earth (John 16:20-25). But if you are able to follow (not just read) God’s word, you will be at ease (Proverbs 1:33). Since you may be having difficulty attaining specific things that you want, try thanking God for what you have and praying for positive outcomes, whatever God chooses them to be. As God’s plan for your life begins to reveal itself, you will know what specific things to begin praying for.

PRAYER

So for now, cast your worries, your doubts and your concerns on him. God will come to the broken hearted (Psalm 38:18). Start your prayers recounting what you have and then get the burden of your future off your shoulders and just worry about today knowing that he’ll take care of you (Matthew 6:25-34). If you follow God you won’t have to fear the same things as everyone else (1 Peter 3:14). Ask God to put your mind at ease, it won’t happen overnight, but the more you try the easier it becomes. God promises to give you rest during tough times if you follow (not just read about) him (Matthew 11:28-30). This is not to say that following God means everything goes your way, because life will still happen to you (Matthew 5:45) but your ability to endure and overcome with joy will be enhanced. Happiness can come to anyone as a result of circumstance; true and ongoing joy comes from God (Psalm 4:7).

FAITH

Faith means knowing there will be a positive outcome and it is the only proof for things we can’t see (Hebrews 11:1). Unfortunately God’s ways cannot always be explained (Psalm 11:33-34), but like I mentioned when we talked, sometimes it can take years before we look back and realize why we had to go through what we went through. Plus, if God is who we believe him to be, how can we comprehend a being like that anyway (Job 11:7-8). Here are some promises God has made to us if we have faith and follow (not just read about) him:

  • 2 Chronicles 20:17, Continue to stand up for what is right and whether you notice it or not, God will be fighting your battles along with you.

  • Romans 12:19, don’t seek your own revenge, leave it to God.

  • Psalm 41:9-12, God will help you to prevail while maintaining your integrity

  • Isaiah 26:3, If you trust God (and that he has a plan for you), your mind will be at peace

  • Psalm 119:165, those who love God and follow his law will have great peace

TRIALS IN LIFE

This is the hardest part for Christians, we always wonder why we have to go through so much just to learn life’s lessons and build our faith. Our trials in life build patience, perseverance and ultimately hope (Romans 5:3-4). And only after enduring tribulations can we enter the Kingdom of God and come to truly appreciate it (Acts 14:22). But most importantly, how much faith could we have if life were easy? Our trials result in us producing genuine faith (1 Peter 1:6-7).

FOLLOWING vs READING ABOUT GOD

So you’ve read me mentioning a few times the difference between ‘reading’ about God and ‘following’ God. This is important, because anyone can read about God, Satan proved he was well versed in the Bible when he tempted Jesus in the dessert (Matthew 4:1-11). And acknowledging God’s existence is not the same as truly believing in him. Even demons believe God exists (James 2:19) but they don’t benefit from this knowledge. At some point (and while praying about it), you will need to act on what you learn.

Here’s a parable from Jesus about the different results of people hearing his word: Mark 4:14-20

  • Seeds on the road eaten by birds: Satan takes the word from you (memory, distraction) when you hear it.

  • Seeds on rocky ground: you receive the word with joy, but stumble when faced with adversity

  • Seeds choked by thorns: the world, riches, lusts keep the word from producing anything in your life even though you hear it.

  • Seeds in the good soil: you hear the word, you accept it and act upon it in your life. And you don’t keep it a secret.

The reason Jesus spoke in parables is because people will listen but not truly understand the things he says (Matthew 13:13).

To close, I wanted to mention that it’s important to get more involved in any Church or overcoming any burden by joining a small group, God is with these groups and they can be powerful (Matthew 18:20). At the end of the day, as you seek love, this is what you should look for:

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