Overcoming Adversity (This includes Stress!)
All of us have to deal with the day-to-day stresses of life. I was reading much of the news this week about the slowing economy, the recent layoffs, and other bad things in general, and I felt a little stress. Some teachings may try to convince us that by becoming a believer in Christ, all of our troubles will just go away. Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, in many situations, the opposite may be true. Jesus tells us in John 16:33 (NIV), "In this world you will have trouble." Taking classes, working, studying for exams, and dealing with family issues all add to the pressure of daily living. These adversities can make us or break us.
God is looking for people who walk in His ways, and who are full of faith. The Apostle Peter tells us in 1 Peter 1:5 that it is through our faith that we are shielded by God's power in these stressful times. Through this shield of power we can actually rejoice because there is a benefit to our trial as a believer. Peter tells us, "In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials." (1 Peter 1:6 NIV) You may be thinking, "Yeah Robby, I'm in a stressful trial, and I sure don't feel like rejoicing. I just don't understand why I'm having to deal with this now." I say, let's read on, "These have come so that your faith - of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire - may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed." (1 Peter 1:7 NIV) We have to understand that sometimes God will allow certain things to happen in our lives in order for us to grow. It's the tough times in life that allow us to develop character. That's when God is doing His work in us. (It was in a stressful trial that I came to know the Lord.) That's when He is stretching us and getting us ready for our next assignment. Your next assignment may be to help encourage a non-believer who is in a trial just like the one from which you came. A "divine appointment" will just happen (I don't believe in "just happens") to fall in your lap at work, at school, or at the grocery store. You will have the opportunity to share how your faith in the Lord actually grew by you going through your similar trial. This is what I do each time I am invited to speak to a new group or church group.
I know that many of you work-out and use weights as part of your fitness program. The weights provide resistance to grow your muscles, to make you stronger. We will never develop our "faith" muscles without some type of resistance. When you first started working out, you probably used smaller amounts of weights. For example: On a bench press, you may have placed a few of the weight discs on the machine for your workout. Lifting the small amount was very easy, and you could lift the amount over and over at a very fast rate. That's like when times are good. You just pumped those weights over and over saying, "God is great! Things are going so well for me, Praise the Lord!" But how is your life now? You are in a stressful trial. You've just slid some of the largest discs found in the gym on to your bench press. The weight is very heavy, and you are moving at a very slow pace due to the load. As you strain to burden the load, you don't feel like talking to anyone. It seems all you can do is just try to keep the load from crushing you. You sure don't feel like praising the Lord in your trial! But keep saying...(in a slow straining voice) "Praise.....the.....Lord! God...is ...good!" Did you know that using large amounts of weight in slow repetitions develops stronger muscles? Your faith muscles are growing stronger!
In Psalms 4:1 (Douay-Rheims) David writes; "When I called upon him, the God of my justice heard me: when I was in distress, thou hast enlarged me." Notice that David wasn't enlarged (faith muscles growing stronger) in the good times; he was enlarged in the tough times. That's what God is trying to do in us. It's how we deal with our stresses, by standing strong in faith, that takes us one step closer to our divine destiny (like sharing your testimony). Psalms 120:1 NIV says, "I call on the Lord in my distress, and he answers me." His answer may be for you just to hang in there and take one day at a time. Seek His Word and be encouraged, "When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul." (Psalms 94:19 NIV)
There is a story about a farmer that I heard. I have shared this story with you before, but I believe it has merit to share again. (I've added a new point to the story this time.) This farmer had his favorite mule. One day while the mule was out roaming alone, unfortunately he fell into a deep empty water well. (See the picture above.) It was several feet deep. This farmer was so disappointed! He loved this old mule. But, after studying the situation and analyzing it, he realized that it was going to be virtually impossible to rescue that mule. The well was just too deep, and the mule was crammed down in the bottom. As much as the farmer didn't want to do it, he figured that the mule and the dry well really wasn't worth saving. He was just going to fill it in with dirt and bury that old mule right then and there and put that old mule out of his misery. So the farmer called some of his friends over to help him out. One shovel full at a time, they began to shovel dirt into the dry well.
When that old mule felt that dirt hit his back and realized what they were trying to do to him- - he threw a fit! He screamed and hollered. I'm sure the old mule thought, "Poor old me, I fall into a well and nobody is going to try to help me out." As he sat there, having his own pity party, the dirt kept getting heavier and heavier on his back. (Kind of like the load you're feeling today.) The Bible says in Romans 8:28 NIV, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." If that old mule could talk he would ask me, "Robby, what possible good can come out of those folks throwing dirt on top of me while I'm in this trial?"...Suddenly a brilliant thought hit the mule's mind. He decided that when he felt that dirt hit his back, instead of letting it bury him, he was just going to shake the dirt off and step up. Just shake it off and step up. And so, blow-by-blow, shovel-by-shovel, time after time, he would just shake it off and step up. No matter how he felt. No matter how tired he got, he just kept shaking it off and stepping up. You know after he did that for several hours, that old mule was able to step triumphantly over the edge of the well to level ground and walk out to freedom.
What's interesting, the VERY dirt that tried to bury him actually saved his life! All because of the way he responded to his adversity. I retell this story to encourage you today to look for the things (the dirt) that may seem to be burying you further. Stay strong in faith! Watch for ways that the Lord will turn what may seem bad now into good. Isaiah 41:10 NLT says, "Don't be afraid, for I am with you. Do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you. I will uphold you with my victorious right hand." The Lord is with you right now. You may feel like you are in a deep, dry well. If you only look forward, you will only see a closed wall with no way out. I encourage you to look up! The Lord's mighty victorious right hand is reaching down to uphold you.
Be determined to shake it off and step up!
Robby
