Dealing With Adversity

Everyone struggles with adversity.
You are not exempt.

Would you count your trials as a sheer GIFT? Not really, but there is a reward from conquering them. We shall see…

“Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.”
‭‭James‬ ‭1:2-4‬ ‭MSG‬‬

If my situation is challenging me, it is because I’m learning something new, rising to a higher level of understanding. Help me be grateful, even in my frustration, that life is an exciting progression of lessons.
The Language Of Letting Go, By Melody Beattie
Learning New Behaviors: May 9th

But adversity, like nothing else, has the ability to bring about solid, constructive change in your life.
Charles F. Stanley

Adversity speaks to adverse or unfavorable fortune or fate; a condition marked by misfortune, calamity, or distress: Friends will show their true colors in times of adversity; an adverse or unfortunate event or circumstance: You will meet many adversities in life.

Here are the helpful hints by acronym.

🔺Apply
🔺Determine
🔺Valiant
🔺Encouraging
🔺Rest
🔺Stretch
🔺Intercede
🔺Trust
🔺Yield

APPLY
Jesus used the word, so should we. We find that everywhere in Matthew, Mark, Luke & John.
Learn how to correct situations by searching the word. Heated situations…. Require COOL downs.

DETERMINE
Determine to stay on course; focused! Establish exactly what you need to do…
Follow One Course Until Successful! How many people FALL BACK with just ONE STRUGGLE? Its NOT the answer!

VALIANT
Be COURAGEOUS!!! Why would God say it to Joshua who was already KNOWN FOR BATTLE, be courageous! He tells him three times.

“Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them. “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.””
‭‭Joshua‬ ‭1:6-9‬ ‭NIV‬‬

ENCOURAGEMENT
You have to learn how to get encouragement at the SAME time as being encouraging!!! That takes MORE COURAGE to do that! We see that in the life of David through 1 Samuel 22 & 30.  Those mark history for him as a leader in Adullum & Ziklag. When you are in the stronghold… don’t STAY there!
400 men were sent to him just as distressed as he was, he inquired of the Lord. God show him TRUE LEADERSHIP here. David let the Lord fight his battles!

REST
Learn when to REST!!!! If you keep going with no healthy pit stops you’ll never be able to successfully conquer a THING! Where do I rest? How? In HIM! But not doing EVERYTHING!
You are not called to do everything. You are called to do SOMETHING!

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”
Matthew‬ ‭11:28‬ ‭NIV‬‬
“This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence:”
1 John‬ ‭3:19‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Sleep on it, wait, sometimes a day away from the adversity to get clarity is best.

STRETCH
Learn to stretch yourself… stretching is good for us before the “workout.” Try something NEW!!! If I am not able to be stretched during adversity, I won’t make it to the next place! Every mommy carrying that baby will have STRETCH MARKS!!! It won’t last forever! Cope! Don’t Mope!!!

“Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes. For you will spread out to the right and to the left; your descendants will dispossess nations and settle in their desolate cities.”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭54:2-3‬ ‭NIV‬‬

INTERCESSION
Intercede! Be a person not just of prayer, but of INTERCESSION!!! Intercession is STRATEGIC PRAYER! Esther entered strategic prayer. Solomon led strategic prayer. It is simply tapping into a deeper realm. Most people never arrive there BECAUSE OF ADVERSITY when they should use it as fuel to propel them into that intercession. In 1 Samuel 16… It took a small kid to take out Goliath, so we see that even the most skilled fighters can grow afraid!
Get PRAYER PARTNERS!!!! Real ones. Those that carry the SCENT and EVIDENCE of a prayer life.

TRUST
TRUST GOD!!! That’s tough, but a true story. Learn when to let go. Study these during those times:
Psalm 18, 119

YIELD
And finally–SURRENDER ALL! That’s part of yielding. When you are allowing Him to be the one to prompt you and not always be governed by SELF!

I hope this is helpful for you! Keep diving in that Word! So that you can apply all of these!