Who Will Master You?Sample

Adversity

Introduction

Wow, did Joseph ever face adversity! Initially, he was thrown into a cistern while his brothers contemplated his fate. He was then sold to merchants who marched him to the distant land of Egypt, where his temporary status of slavery became permanent in Potiphar’s house. All of this results from his brothers’ response to fatherly favor and perhaps his personal pride (see Days 1-2).

The Reasons for Adversity

There are lots of reasons for adversity, though they can generally be placed into two categories – earthly and heavenly. Earthly reasons center around the efforts of others who put us down to raise themselves up. This is closely connected to some of the results of pride shared earlier.

Heavenly reasons bring God and His plan into play. He often works with humans and their earthly motivations; however, He orchestrates the outcomes for His purposes.

• What has been your experience with adversity? Frequent? Occasional?

The Effects of Adversity

Though adversity seems to be bad on the surface, its difficulty in our lives begins with a fairly neutral status. Whether it helps or hurts generally falls to our response. The most obvious effect is to break us. When this happens, the earthly actors achieve their desired outcomes.

A more subtle yet significant effect is that adversity makes us stronger. If we can look past the temporary present into the eternal, we often find God’s refining force. Though this view requires keen sight, its outcome is one of overcoming. The hard can indeed become good.

• Can you see “heavenly effects” in your experience with adversity?

Will Adversity Master You?

• How can you identify adversity’s roots (earthly) and look forward to its fruits (heavenly)?
• What will it take for you to develop an overcoming attitude when faced with adversity?