Resources/Articles
Can You Handle Adversity?
...It has not yet been revealed what we shall be...
1 John 3.2
Some people’s natural inclination is to be precise. They try always to forecast accurately what will happen next, whether it concerns the weather, their children, their spouse, or a trick being played on them. Being so consumed by precision, they look upon uncertainty as a bad thing. Can you view the spiritual life the same way? The nature of the spiritual life is that we are certain in our uncertainty. Life does not turn out precisely as planned. Adversity comes. When it does, where are our roots? Have we predicted how we are going to respond to adversity? Do we think about those unforeseen difficulties will come our way?
Certainty in life, or “normal,” is what most people promise themselves. Uncertainty is one mark of the spiritual life in Christ. We can be certain of God and His ways, but we are not certain what tomorrow may bring. We do not know. It is hard for some people to live under those circumstances. They always appear to be certain about tomorrow. They will do this. They will go there.
The Christian understands whatever tomorrow will be like, God will be in it. He is in that day. As soon as we abandon ourselves to God and do the task He has placed closest to us, He fills our lives with the blessings we need. This is one reason Jesus proclaimed our lives in Him should be as a child. He said, “...unless you...become as little children...” (Matthew 18.3). The spiritual life is the life of a child. A child does not awaken every morning with doubts and a troubled heart about what is in store for him that day. He is certain his parents will provide for him regardless of what the day holds.
We cannot let our faith falter on the certainty of God. Do not bother with what God might do next. Does that bother you? Do you wish He would give you warning or more “signs” of what He is doing? Paul understood how much trust one needed in the certainty of God by saying in 2 Corinthians 5.7, “Walk by faith and not by sight.” When we have the right relationship with God, life is full of spontaneous, joyful expectancy, which is, He will be present in the midst of the uncertainty.
Jesus left His disciples with one certainty: “...Believe also in Me” (John 14.1), not “Believe certain things about Me.” Leave everything to Him. It will be gloriously and graciously uncertain how He will work, but you can be certain He will work. Remain faithful to Him. He will provide a crown of life (Revelation 2.10).
