The mystery of adversity

“MANY [are] the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.” Psalm 34;19

Life offers us numerous opportunities to make choices daily and our life is the sum total of such choices. Where we are today and what we have become today is the product of our choices.

Many times the options we are offered are tough. The choices we make are largely hinged on our perspective. Our perspective will determine whether we will see possibilities instead of problems or we will see opposition instead of opportunities. Our perspective will determine whether we will see problems and challenges as mountains or molehills.

That we will encounter adversity, that we will face challenges, that we will run into turbulent waters is a fact of life we cannot deny. The issue is what we do at such times. Are we going to crumble under the weight of challenges or are we going to stand up to it and pursue our purpose in life to a logical conclusion.

Life is not an easy road but at the same time it is not an impossible road. Life throws a barrage of challenges, crisis and circumstances that are tough and only the strong hearted can make it. Life is not designed for the faint hearted who will throw in the towel at every difficult point he gets in life.

One tread that weaves through the fabric of any great man or woman of substance is adversity. Adversity is inevitable and our attitude and response when it shows up will determine how far we will go in life. Adversity or negative circumstances can either paralyze us or it can propel us to rise beyond it to greater heights. Adversity is usually a temporary bus stop on our way to our final destination. Nobody in his right mind lives in the bus stop- it’s just a transit point.

We must see adversity in the proper light. We must not maximize adversity neither must we minimize it. Maximizing adversity is giving it a –larger-than-life image while minimizing adversity is under-rating the power of adversity. Both are wrong perspectives of looking at adversity. Adversity can be a tool to unlock some doors that ordinarily will remain closed in good times.

There is hardly any great person who did not have to cross the bridge of adversity before making any appreciable impact with their lives. Adversity many times puts us under pressure, which if well managed, will bring out the best in us. Adversity pushes us to the wall and forces us to look at options we would never have considered if things were rosy.

No matter the adversity we encounter we must not allow it to stop us.

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