What are some ways to deal with adversity?
Jeremiah 15:18Why then does my suffering continue? Why is my wound so incurable? Your help seems as uncertain as a seasonal brook, like a spring that has gone dry.
Lamentations 3:40Let us test and examine our ways. Let us turn back to the Lord.
Daniel 9:11All Israel has disobeyed your instruction and turned away, refusing to listen to your voice. “So now the solemn curses and judgments written in the Law of Moses, the servant of God, have been poured down on us because of our sin.
When adversity comes, we must discern what God may be doing in us through the trial. Sometimes adversity is from God because there is a lesson he wants us to learn. We should seek to be humble, willing to change and grow from this experience.
1 Chronicles 28:20Then David continued, “Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Don’t be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. He will see to it that all the work related to the Temple of the Lord is finished correctly.”
Psalm 40:12Troubles surround me—too many to count! My sins pile up so high I can’t see my way out. They outnumber the hairs on my head. I have lost all courage.
Strength to handle adversity comes from God. Therefore, stay close to him through studying his Word, praying, and seeking support from other believers.
Matthew 7:24-27“Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.”
Acts 4:18-20So they called the apostles back in and commanded them never again to speak or teach in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John replied, “Do you think God wants us to obey you rather than him? We cannot stop telling about everything we have seen and heard.”
Acts 5:29Peter and the apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than any human authority.”
When we build our lives on God’s Word, we will have a foundation that stands strong against life’s storms.
2 Corinthians 4:8-17We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies. Yes, we live under constant danger of death because we serve Jesus, so that the life of Jesus will be evident in our dying bodies. So we live in the face of death, but this has resulted in eternal life for you. But we continue to preach because we have the same kind of faith the psalmist had when he said, “I believed in God, so I spoke.” We know that God, who raised the Lord Jesus, will also raise us with Jesus and present us to himself together with you. All of this is for your benefit. And as God’s grace reaches more and more people, there will be great thanksgiving, and God will receive more and more glory. That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!
2 Corinthians 6:4In everything we do, we show that we are true ministers of God. We patiently endure troubles and hardships and calamities of every kind.
Despite all kinds of adversity, we can persevere because we serve Jesus and our work is to glorify him.
Genesis 50:20You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.
Acts 16:25Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening.
Romans 8:28We know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.
Look for the ways God will work, continuing to worship him through prayer and praise.
Philippians 4:6-7Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
James 1:2-4Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.
Instead of worrying about your troubles, tell God about them. Watch for him to work things out, and be ready to thank him when he does. This is the surest way to maintain joy and peace in spite of hard circumstances.
