Joy in the Big Picture

 

    Adversity can produce positivity.  It is just hard to believe and accept.  The truth is adversity produces growth that can bring joy.  We rarely grow when things are going well.  If you try to avoid adversity, then you end up avoiding life.  

    It takes practice to remain joyful in the hard times.  Develop poise and calm to help you respond when things are difficult.  Everyone has bad days, setbacks, season in the desert, and big life events that seem insurmountable.  You just have to remember that God is bigger and more powerful than any of it.  Stress develops when you are inconsistent with Biblical principles because we do not sense God in our lives or allow Him control.  

    Life is like the four seasons.  If you did not have winter, then you would not enjoy spring as much.  If you didn't have summer, then you would not enjoy fall as much.  Adversity develops strong character and builds resilience.  It is like a muscle.  If not worked, it will get weak.  You always have to be ready to face discomfort, pain, and uneasiness.  Plus working out helps you deal with stress and trauma better.

    If you want to have strong character, then you have to decide on how you will deal with adversity.  It is your choice on how you will deal with difficulty.  Your mind is your inner world.  It decides how the outer world will be for you.  It is more than positive thinking.  It is keeping a joyful attitude.  It is choosing to deal with human nature in a Godly manner.

    Adversity reveals character flaws.  You have the choice to work on them or ignore them and allow them to become bigger issues causing significant damage in relationships.  Your character is the essence of who you are: thoughts, habits, flaws, virtues, vision, ambition, and inspiration.  Will you grow or shrink?  You develop your character over your entire life.  

    You will never know what you are made of until you are put into the fire.  Life will give you failure, tragedy, difficult times, obstacles, set backs, crisis, and suffering.  Sometimes more than one at a time.  It can hit your health, family, friendships, marriage, work, or church.  It can destroy you or it can develop you.  

    Look for wisdom in the trials of life.  Look for what God is trying to sift our of your life.  If you find it, then you can find your blessings that bring joy.  If you allow adversity to develop character, then it will drain the negative energy.  Accept adversity as a norm and look for the benefits instead of all the negatives.  This is when you can take advantage to grow.  You just have to train yourself to look for it.  God is with you in the small and big things.

Psalm 16:9-11, Isaiah 61:10-11, Habakkuk 3:16-19, Philippians 4:4-5, 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, & James 1:2-4