What is adversity? A simple definition can be found by just searching it on Google or another online dictionary. When we do this, we find that adversity is “difficulties or misfortune”. This Google definition also gives us synonyms of adversity. These synonyms include bad luck, difficulty, hardship, and trouble. But adversity is so much more! We encounter adversity everyday in the decisions we make and problems we are faced with.
Oftentimes, we look at the word “adversity” with a negative connotation. Though this is sometimes justified in the moment, looking back on it, it may have a bright side. But to be able to see this bright side, we must remain positive and make it out of the adversity. Inc.com puts it well in their post about adversity. Their post tells us to first address our feelings rather than bottling them up, because keeping them inside could lead to them exploding out all at once. After addressing our feelings, we must try to find a solution to the problem. This could be a simple deduction of what fits best in the situation, or a more thought out solution.
As I mentioned before, adversity has a bright side. Though it may be hard in the moment, try to look at it as an opportunity to grow. This may not be what you want to hear, but we all need to grow. Take the following examples. You lose your only basketball and don’t have the money to buy a new one. What should you do? After accepting the situation, we should try to find a way to make money in order to buy a new ball. We should then learn from this experience and look at it as an opportunity to grow. By this, I mean grow in maturity, grow your work ethic, and you might even gain some money as well.
In my life, I have faced lots of adversity. Most of the time, I got through it without much trouble. Unfortunately, not all of the circumstances went by smoothly. In those uneasy times, I turn to God. I look into his Word, and listen to what he has to say. I don’t just stare blankly at the pages waiting for a revelation, but rather look up verses addressing the problem I’m facing. You may think, But how do you know this is what God’s trying to tell you? My short answer to this is to trust. Trust that God has a plan for you, that he is looking out for you, and that he has your best interests in mind. 1 Corinthians 12:9 shows a conversation between us and God and hits this theme home when it says “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”
Sometimes, we need to use the people God has placed in our lives in order to help us get through these challenging times. These people could be anyone you meet including family, friends, or that random stranger you saw yesterday. Now, I’m not saying to press matters and straight up ask them “What message from God do you have for me?!?” Instead, have conversations with them and get to know them better, even if you think you already know them well. Doing this might allow you to open up to others which in turn might make them want to help you. Nobody likes a person who is always closed off about their own problems because it makes them seem prideful and gives off the impression that you don’t need their help and are better than them.
We all encounter adversity every day, whether it be simple problems or deeper problems. These problems build character within us and help us grow to our full potential. Not all of these problems can be solved with our own skill, however, God has given us his Word along with placing people in our lives to help us get through it. All we have to do is trust him and surely we will get through it.
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