Travel Light: Two things to remember when adversity comes

“Job’s wife said to him, ‘Do you still retain your integrity? Curse God and die!’ ‘You speak as a foolish woman speaks,’ Job told her. ‘Should we accept only good from God and not adversity?’ Throughout all this Job did not sin in what he said.” 

Job 2:9-10

Early in the journey, almost from the very beginning, we realize that life may not go as we expect. Job’s story is one of Scripture’s oldest. From the very beginning, it raises the questions: How will we respond to adversity? How will we live our faith when those closest to us encourage us to curse God and die? When the worst happens — the death of a child, a serious illness or a significant distraction — how will we respond? Job’s story emphasizes two reactions:

Job did not lose faith in God. “Should we accept only good from God and not adversity?” he asked. Through all his trials, the Bible records, Job did not sin “in what he said.” He did not lose faith in God.

Job questioned himself. “Teach me and I will be silent,” Job 6:24 records. “Help me understand what I did wrong.” While Job didn't lose faith in God, he wasn't so sure he could trust himself. Had he sinned? Were all of the struggles he was experiencing his fault?

When we encounter adversity or failure on the journey to make Jesus known, the temptation is to try to figure out where we messed up. “I moved too quickly.” “I shared Jesus too soon.” “I misunderstood the cultural cues.”

Sometimes our failures and adversities are not necessarily our fault. Remember, Satan wanted to test Job not because of Job’s mistakes, but because of his faithfulness. In the same way, failure and adversity may be Satan's response to our faithfulness to make Jesus known.

Consider this: the gates of hell, described by Jesus in Matthew 16:18, are stationary. They do not move. We rarely experience spiritual opposition when we are doing nothing. However, when we are making Jesus known, spiritual opposition increases as we approach the “gates of hell” and encroach on enemy territory with the Good News of Christ. 

So, as you begin the journey, expect adversity but do not be overcome by it. Remember, the testing of your faith builds the endurance you will need to take the Gospel to the darkest places on the planet. 

Get ready for the workout. 

This week's reading: Job 17-39

Post #2: Discovering how to live missionally through a chronological reading of God’s Word. 

#travellight