PERSPECTIVE ON ADVERSITY

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

            Psalm 25:1-4 [A Psalm of David.] To You, O Jehovah, I lift up my soul. 2 O my God, I trust in You; do not let me be ashamed, let not my enemies triumph over me. 3 Yea, let none who wait on You be ashamed; let them be ashamed who sin without cause. 4 Make me know Your ways, O Jehovah; teach me Your paths.
            Romans 8:14-18 [Paul explaining] For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. 15 For you have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption by which we cry, Abba, Father! 16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God. 17 And if we are children, then we are heirs; heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ; so that if we suffer with Him, we may also be glorified together. 18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the coming glory to be revealed in us. [Also note 12:1-3]

  Worldview of adversity (difficulties, hardships, danger, misfortune, harsh conditions) is typically negative:

·         As calamity, catastrophe, tragedy . . . disastrous.

·         Always about me.

·         Puzzling.

·         Something other individuals and groups deserve.

·         Sorrowful when happening to loved ones . . . or those we idolize.

·         Gleeful when happening to enemies or those we’re not exactly fond of.

·         Always stressful.

·         Nonchalant, detached, indifferent, unflappable: “Whatever.” “____  happens!”

·         If not stressed by, calm person must be weird.

·         As opposition.

·         Always coming in threes. (My familial education from Grandmother McGee.)

·         Always from Satan.

·         Always as chastening from God.

·         Focusing on source question rather than solutions or lessons therein.

·         Destructive. “Ruination!”

·         Highlighting manner or matrix needing more law and regulation.

·         The common rule.

·         A number of other gloomy points that I’m sure others can add. (Please do!)

  My negative viewpoints changed wonderfully in and by God’s maturation through reading, studying, and application of His Word.

  I think the first lesson was accepting all adversity isn’t aimed at me. God makes His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. (Mt.5:45) This includes warm delightful sunshine on a cold day, and instances of scorching heat while working on broken hot machinery in shade-less dry dusty field. And then there are rain storms that I didn’t dance in but hunkered down in on the Chesapeake Bay.

  Next came accepting the truth that little growth is realized apart from adversity classroom.

  But then it’s really not about personal improvement; it’s about conforming to the image of Christ. (Rom.8:13-29)  EBB4