From Adversity To Blessing

Adversity is something people don’t like to talk about. It takes many forms, like financial, family issues, difficult relationships, job related problems, illness, or unexpected emergencies. I have personally experienced all of the above. How about you? Life was never meant to be easy, but along with adversity can also come blessings.

A life of adversity is the source of spiritual maturity. Another name for adversity is discipline. Both can lead to a more holy life, “but we often resist God’s work in our lives. We shrink from the rod of God’s discipline instead of seeking to profit from it. We are more desirous of relief from the adversity than we are of its profit into holiness. But as we look to God to use his discipline in our lives, we may be sure it will in due time produce ‘a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it’(Hebrews 12:12).” (1) “He knows infallibly with infinite wisdom what combination of good and bad circumstances will bring us more and more into sharing his holiness. He never puts too much of the ‘salt’ of adversity into the recipe of our lives. His blending of adversity and blessing is always exactly right for us.” (2)

This brings us to Romans 8:28-29. Never quote verse 28 without 29 because these verses talk about transformed character resulting from circumstances. The word good in these verses refers to better character that can come out of adversity. One’s circumstances may not change, but the circumstances may help change one’s character. “God is working right now, but not so much to give us predictable, comfortable, and pleasurable lives. He isn’t so much working to transform our circumstances as he is working through hard circumstances to transform you and me. Perhaps in hard moments, when we are tempted to wonder where God‘s grace is, it is grace that we are getting but not grace in the form of a soft pillow or a cool drink. Rather, in those moments, we are being blessed with the heart-transforming grace of difficulty because the God who loves us knows that this is exactly the grace we need.”  (3)

In the midst of adverse circumstances, we can look for little blessings. We can see the shortcomings in our lives if we are humble enough to recognize them. I have seen that in my own life. There has been a gradual process that has taken place. A good example for all of us is marriage. When you live with someone, they see the real you. They see the blind spots in your character. They see how you react or respond to difficulties that say a lot about their spiritual maturity. The fruits of the Holy Spirit listed in Galatians 5:22-23 can be used as a good response to adversity. Consider also the things listed in Phil. 4:8.

The bottom line is how much are we allowing adversity to yield the blessings of holy and exhibiting God’s character? What adversity have you experienced lately? Have you seen how it has developed your spiritual or emotional growth? So, adversity can become a blessing as people see you having a godly and righteous character.

1. Jerry Bridges, Trusting God Even When Life Hurts, NavPress, 2008, pg. 195

2. Ibid, pg. 127

3. Paul David Tripp, New Morning Mercies, Crossway, 2014, February 1st Devotional