Facing Adversity

Scripture:
"So that no one would be disturbed by these afflictions; for you yourselves know that we have been destined for this." 1 Thessalonians 3:3

Observation:
Affliction is defined as a state of pain, distress, or grief; misery. In the context of this passage, Paul is speaking to the church in Thessalonica. This church was doing quite well and the purpose of the letter was to encourage them and build them up.

Paul was afraid that the early church would be discouraged by what was happening to him and the other apostles. Persecution was widespread. For the early believers this would communicate a message to them that hard times were on the way. In the midst of the inevitable, impending struggles; it would have been easy for this group to fall away.

They did not. They held firm to their faith in the midst of all that they were seeing and experiencing. They chose to act out of love and faith even though the results did not seem to be very promising.

Application:
I like to win. It does not matter what the activity is, I want to be compared to someone and be declared the winner. My competitive nature drives me to succeed. It also gets me in a lot of trouble.

When I read passages like this I do not walk away all that fired up. Losing stinks. There are many clichés out there designed to make people feel better about losing. Statements such as, "it does not matter how you play the game" exists in all shapes and forms. These statements do not really work for me. In the end the only thing that I care about is did I win.

That is what makes struggles so difficult for me. My pride makes struggling through something really difficult. I want to beat it. I want to have victory. Learning to be ok in the midst of struggles is a major area of growth for me.

Prayer:
You know me. I believe that when You knitted me together in the my mother's womb, You knew exactly how I would turn out. You know my stubbornness, my pride, my tendencies to seek pleasure, and every other weakness in my life. You also know my love of life, my drive, and my willingness to learn.

I am thankful today that when You look at me, You see the whole package. The good and the bad. The right and the wrong. The strong and the weak. The sinful and the holy. Most importantly, when you look at me You see the saving work of Your Son.

I ask today that You allow me to fully realize the freedom that is found in Christ. I am often overrun by the struggles of life that I observe around me. I see the good side losing to the bad and it really steals away my joy.

When my joy leaves I become irritable. I tear into those around me. I start seeking things to make me feel better for things that promise to bring escape. I become more of a consumer than a giver and I, in my self-centeredness, lose sight of the greater work taking place around me.

I ask for the inverse of these things to be true in my life. When struggles rock my world and I am tempted to be irritable, I pray that You teach me to give the best of me that I have to offer to those around me. Instead of seeking to escape the storms of life, I want to be a beacon of light to others in the same storm. Instead of spending my energies by consuming things that will make me feel better, I ask that You teach me to invest in the lives of others. Instead of getting stuck in a pity party regarding how bad things are working out for me, I ask that You teach me to be encouraged by the work that You are doing in the lives of others.