What is adversity? The dictionary defines it as a great affliction or hardship; a misfortune.
Everyone experiences a form of loss, set-back or adversity at some point in their lives.
It usually strikes without notice and can hit anywhere.
a relationship a career a loved one your health your job your financial status your business Everyone's adversity is unique because it's seen from your own eyes.
What may be a catastrophe for you could be only a bump in the road for someone else.
For example, circumstances could force you to move across the country.
That would be fine for the person who loves to travel, but a disaster for the one who's lived in that same town their whole life.
For one it's an adventure, for the other it's an adversity.
Or you've reached the age where your company thinks you should retire but your job is all you love to do.
Some see retirement as a joy, for others it's a punishment.
You see, what's important is not the particular circumstance so much as the way it's perceived: Your state of mind.
Your state of mind determines how you perceive your adversity.
The adversity is a choice point-you have the choice to see it as an excuse or reason to give up or whine or bemoan your circumstances; or a God-given tool to be used to improve or change.
Christians have the advantage here to see things from God's perspective.
For me, my adversity is in my health.
When multiple sclerosis first hit me, I felt like I had slammed head first into a brick wall.
I was stunned.
At first I went through the typical stages of loss.
You're probably familiar with Kubler-Ross' stages: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance.
She points out that we go through these stages for any real loss, whether it's the loss of a pet or a job or for me the ability to walk.
My denial at first was that I just couldn't believe it-things like this didn't happen to me! And the anger-I was really mad that some unknown disease could actually invade my body and take over.
I didn't do any bargaining at this point, but the depression was certainly there.
It moved in as I contemplated the hopelessness of it all.
It really seemed my life was over.
But this was all before I was able to see things from God's perspective.
After ten years of a wonderful marriage, two beautiful daughters and finishing the work for my PhD, I'd nearly forgotten God.
In fact, I doubted He even existed.
But thank God He never forgot me.
By His grace alone one day, He showed me clearly who Jesus Christ is; I gave my life to Him completely and was instantly transformed.
Seeing everything from God's perspective, I was no longer a helpless victim but a mighty warrior in His strength.
He's never taken the disease completely away, but He's been walking through it with me every step of the way.
I've been able to use my adversity as a God-given tool to maximize my life.
I would never have chosen this tool, but I'm very glad to have had a choice about how to see it.
Everyone experiences a form of loss, set-back or adversity at some point in their lives.
It usually strikes without notice and can hit anywhere.
a relationship a career a loved one your health your job your financial status your business Everyone's adversity is unique because it's seen from your own eyes.
What may be a catastrophe for you could be only a bump in the road for someone else.
For example, circumstances could force you to move across the country.
That would be fine for the person who loves to travel, but a disaster for the one who's lived in that same town their whole life.
For one it's an adventure, for the other it's an adversity.
Or you've reached the age where your company thinks you should retire but your job is all you love to do.
Some see retirement as a joy, for others it's a punishment.
You see, what's important is not the particular circumstance so much as the way it's perceived: Your state of mind.
Your state of mind determines how you perceive your adversity.
The adversity is a choice point-you have the choice to see it as an excuse or reason to give up or whine or bemoan your circumstances; or a God-given tool to be used to improve or change.
Christians have the advantage here to see things from God's perspective.
For me, my adversity is in my health.
When multiple sclerosis first hit me, I felt like I had slammed head first into a brick wall.
I was stunned.
At first I went through the typical stages of loss.
You're probably familiar with Kubler-Ross' stages: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance.
She points out that we go through these stages for any real loss, whether it's the loss of a pet or a job or for me the ability to walk.
My denial at first was that I just couldn't believe it-things like this didn't happen to me! And the anger-I was really mad that some unknown disease could actually invade my body and take over.
I didn't do any bargaining at this point, but the depression was certainly there.
It moved in as I contemplated the hopelessness of it all.
It really seemed my life was over.
But this was all before I was able to see things from God's perspective.
After ten years of a wonderful marriage, two beautiful daughters and finishing the work for my PhD, I'd nearly forgotten God.
In fact, I doubted He even existed.
But thank God He never forgot me.
By His grace alone one day, He showed me clearly who Jesus Christ is; I gave my life to Him completely and was instantly transformed.
Seeing everything from God's perspective, I was no longer a helpless victim but a mighty warrior in His strength.
He's never taken the disease completely away, but He's been walking through it with me every step of the way.
I've been able to use my adversity as a God-given tool to maximize my life.
I would never have chosen this tool, but I'm very glad to have had a choice about how to see it.
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