Adversity is Good?
I never thought I would say that “adversity is good” but I will. It has taken lifetime to come to this conclusion that
the adversities in life have taught me to be able to appreciate the good things in life. Trials, tribulations and problems are
hard taskmasters but the lessons they teach are invaluable for understanding life. Consider this: If it weren’t for adversity
your my life; how would you define the good in it? If everything is good, how would you know that it was good? If every
day was good how would know it? It would change the meaning of good to normal, average and common because it is the
same every day. Therefore, without the presence of adversity, goodness changes its meaning and is necessary in order to
truly understand the meaning of “good.” We may ask; “Why is that?” It is because of the difficult times that we can
appreciate the good times. When things are not going as they should or worse, we can long for the times when they did.
It is because of life’s sorrows and pains that we can appreciate the good in life. For example: I once had the Russian Flu
or as I refer to it, the black plague, 30 years ago. Everything hurt. It was the most ill I have ever been. I had hair then and
it hurt! I remember that for a time I thought death would have to be preferable to living like this. I survived, barely and
after a few days I was better. A few days after that I was back to normal but as I compare normal to being sick with the
Russian flu means: I was fantastic. I mean I was on cloud nine. Problems in life create appreciation for the good that life
has to offer. Have you ever done one of those “Word Association Tests” in which a person is asked to respond to a series
of words with the first thing they think of? Most of us have. If the examiner says: “stop,” the most common response is
“go,” and “up?” most would say “down” and when “good” is used the usually response is “bad”. Even in our unconscious
thinking we use opposites to understand the world around us. One can never truly understand and appreciate the good
in their life without experiencing its pain, sorrow and adversity. Please do not misunderstand, I hate adversity, but Ican
also be thankful for it because it allows me to truly experience joy in life. I can be thankful, grateful and happy for the
good things in this life for adversity makes the good things in life even more valuable. Think for a moment why Jesus died
for us. In Hebrews 12:1 it says, “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay
aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross,
despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” My salvation is glorious to me having
received it but this passage tells me that it is a tremendous joy to Christ who died, who suffering adversity, pain, sorrow
and humiliation in order to give it. Maybe, we can now suffer our adversities more graciously understanding that God
can use them to make us better people.
– Your Pastor, Dave