Adversity is an inevitable part of life. Christian or not we all are exposed to it, and usually more than just once or twice in our lifetime. Some adversities are a product of our thoughts and actions, some are due to misfortune or bad luck, and some are a combination of the two. Regardless of how we cross the path with our adversities, we all have the same choices on how we deal with the struggles, trials, and hiccups that seem to accompany life’s journey. We can either react with our (imperfect) human nature or we can depend on our (still imperfect) Christian heart.
I recently had a door of opportunity open in my career for a promotion. For the past year I have been working diligently, tweaking my imperfections, expanding my knowledge, and overcoming career-related challenges. I was so sure that I was ready. There was very little doubt that I would be passed up for this opportunity.
Guess what? I was.
While I was strongly considered for the position, someone else had been chosen, and all for reasons that were out of my control. My first thoughts were What?! and Why?! and How is that even close to fair?!. My imperfect human nature started to rear it’s ugly head, and for the next couple of days I was bitter and hurt. I was standoffish, short-tempered, and just plain grumpy.
I wasn’t using my Christian heart very well, was I?
I had to stop and examine myself. I had to turn my heart to the Lord. I had to ask myself, How can I use this experience to glorify Him? I cannot be focused on what I can get out of life, I want to be focused on what I can give to life. I want others to undoubtedly see Christ through me. How can I live for His glory and how can I live by His word? How can I show someone Christ in this moment, in this second? How can I turn MY TRIAL into HIS TRIUMPH?
Because all of this, my life, my victories, and my struggles, are all for Him.
So many times when we meet adversity, we get so caught up in our own selves, in our own human-ness. We are so wrapped up in our own wants and needs that we forget that we should be using our lives and our experiences, good and bad, to glorify God. We should be depending on God and on our Christian heart.
2 Corinthians 4:6 says, “For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.”
Ask yourself, “How can Christ be modeled in the face of adversity through my life?”
Feed Yourself, Girl! with the Word, in the Word, by the Word. It’s nourishment for your Christian heart.
feed yourself, girl 