Adversity
Hard Life: The Path of the Righteous
In this fallen world, adversity is not just a possibility — it’s an inevitability. The rain falls on the just and the unjust alike, and trials come to all who draw breath. As we read in Ecclesiastes 9:2, “It is the same for all. There is one fate for the righteous and for the wicked; for the good, for the clean and for the unclean.” This truth may seem disheartening at first glance, but it carries within it a profound lesson. Consider the life of Job, a man described as “blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil.” (Job 1:1). Despite his righteousness, Job faced unimaginable loss and suffering. His story serves as a stark reminder that faith does not immunize us against hardship. Yet, it was through this crucible of adversity that Job’s faith was refined and his relationship with God deepened. Similarly, the Apostle Paul, a titan of faith, was no stranger to tribulation. He writes, “Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked…” — 2 Corinthians 11:24–25. Paul’s life was a testament to the fact that following Christ doesn’t guarantee an easy path, but rather a meaningful one. And most powerfully, we see that God Himself is intimately acquainted with suffering. He did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all (Romans 8:32). Jesus, fully God and fully man, endured unimaginable hardship, culminating in a terrible and suffering death on the cross as it was prophesied in Isaiah, “He was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.” — Isaiah 53:3. This profound truth reminds us that when we face adversity, we have a God who not only understands our pain but has experienced it Himself, and to an even greater degree. In facing adversity, we are in good company. The heroes of our faith walked this road before us, and their testimonies light the way. They show us that it’s not the absence of hardship that defines us, but how we navigate through it.
Courage: Standing Firm in the Storm
When the winds of adversity howl around us, it’s courage that keeps us standing. But this courage isn’t born of self-reliance or stoic determination. No, it’s a courage that flows from a deep well of faith in the One who calms the storm. David, the shepherd boy turned king, knew this courage intimately. Standing before the giant Goliath, David declared, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty.” — 1 Samuel 17:45. His courage wasn’t in his own strength, but in his unwavering trust in God. We see this same courage in Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Faced with a fiery furnace, they stood firm in their convictions, proclaiming, “If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.” — Daniel 3:17–18. Their courage wasn’t dependent on the outcome, but on their faith in God’s sovereignty. This is the courage we’re called to embody — a courage that stands firm not because we’re certain of victory, but because we’re certain of God. It’s a courage that we read in about in Romans: “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” — Romans 8:38–39.
Cowardly: The Peril of Fearful Hearts
In stark contrast to courage stands cowardice — a posture that shrinks back in fear rather than stepping forward in faith. The Bible doesn’t mince words about the dangers of such an attitude. In Revelation 21:8, we read a sobering warning: “But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars — they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.” We see the consequences of cowardice in the life of Judas Iscariot. Driven by fear and greed, he betrayed the Son of God for thirty pieces of silver. His cowardly act led not to the security he sought, but to despair and a gruesome death (Matthew 27:3–5). Jesus Himself warned about the futility of cowardice, saying, “For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.” — Matthew 16:25. This paradoxical truth cuts to the heart of the matter — when we cling fearfully to our own safety and comfort, we risk losing everything of true value. Fear is indeed a weapon of the enemy, designed to paralyze us and keep us from walking in the fullness of our calling. But we must remember that “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” — 2 Timothy 1:7.
Spirit of God: Our Unshakeable Foundation
For those who have been born again, we carry within us an unshakeable power — the very Spirit of the living God. This indwelling presence is not a mere theological concept, but a new life that should radically alter how we face adversity. “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?” — 1 Corinthians 6:19. This truth should embolden us, knowing that the same power that raised Christ from the dead now lives in us (Romans 8:11). Yet, we must be prepared. As we align ourselves more closely with God’s purposes, we will find ourselves increasingly at odds with the world around us. Jesus warned His disciples, “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.” — John 15:18–19. In these times, when the cultural tide seems to be turning ever further from the face of God, we must stand firm. We are called to be “the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14), shining all the brighter against the backdrop of growing darkness. This requires a boldness that can only come from the Spirit within us. Let us, then, fan into flame the gift of God that is in us (2 Timothy 1:6). Let us be bold and without fear, knowing that “the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world” (1 John 4:4). In the face of adversity, may we stand as living testimonies of the power of the Gospel, unshaken and unafraid.
In Him,
Tim and Will