Overcoming Adversity
The fact is we all have adversity's in our lives, whether it is drugs, drinking and/or being overweight. It seems impossible to get through our adversity. The solution is that you trust in yourself and not only in yourself, but in Christ Jesus as well. One of our biggest adversity's in this life is SIN. Sin weighs us all down. There is a phrase in a song by casting crowns and it states "Who am I that the one who sees my sin would look on me with love, and watch me rise again." There is one who loves you more than even you own family loves you, and it is Christ Jesus. He came to earth over 2000 years ago to die a painful death on a Cross for our Sins/Adversity's, and he is willing to forgive you if only you will repent and turn from you ways. The Bible says in
Matthew 18:21-22 21
Then Peter came and said to Him, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?"22Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.
Jesus is your brother if you accept him as you Lord and Savior. He was not meaning a number when he said to forgive seven times seventy he was meaning forever, every time someone sins against you whoever that may be you need to forgive. If you do not forgive your brother your father in heaven will not for give you.
Matthew 6:14-15:
14For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
I myself have a hard time doing this, yet God himself helps me to do it.
Luke 10:25-29:
The Most Important Commandment
25 One day an expert in religious law stood up to test Jesus by asking him this question: “Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?”
26 Jesus replied, “What does the law of Moses say? How do you read it?”
27 The man answered, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.’ And, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”[a]
28 “Right!” Jesus told him. “Do this and you will live!”
29 The man wanted to justify his actions, so he asked Jesus, “And
who is my neighbor?”
You may ask who is my neighbor, I tell you the truth you neighbor is anyone you meet. Your neighbor could be a Christ follower or your neighbor may not be a Christ follower. Forgiving your neighbor and yourself is the first step to overcoming adversity in your life. You have the power, look into your heart and see where that power comes from. When I mean you have the power you have it, yet it is not from your own will you can not do it alone. You have the power because someone has given you that power and is helping you to overcome. You can not forgive by yourself, you need help from Jesus, and if you believe and have faith you will be able to forgive. This does not take a Rocket Scientist to do. Also Satan will come and try to tell you that you are of no value to God. He will always take the time when you are most vulnerable and that would be when a non-believer becomes a Christ follower. You see Satan hates it when someone turns their life over to Christ You need to stand strong and see what Christ is willing to do in your life, it won't be easy you will face trials, yet through those trials comes perseverance, and perseverance strength. Remember you can not do it alone, Jesus will help and you need to do your part as well.
For Believers
"But
if we are the body
Why aren't His arms reaching?
Why aren't His hands healing?
Why aren't His words teaching?
And if we are the body
Why aren't His feet going?
Why is His love not showing then there is a way"
As a Christ follower you need to do your part to bring those who don't
know Christ to Christ. The research that I have done is for every believer
in the United States about 40% of the Christ followers do the work of
going out to lead people to Christ. The other 60% of Christ followers
do not do the work. Part of the reason for that is because 30% of them
make the excuse I work all day long and when they get home they want to
rest. The other 30% say well just let other believers do it because God
has not given me the gift to do the work. Let me tell you God gives every
believer that gift. For every believer that does not go out and do the
work that Christ did he/she does not get the blessing that Christ gives
for a job well done. By doing the work, God has given us to do you bring
glory to him and when you do it you receive the blessing that he gives.
A friend of mine always says that when we get to heaven he hopes that
someone will come up to you and say, you may not remember me, yet when
I was dead in my sin you saw that and came up to me and taught me about
Jesus and it changed my life. I would like to thank you for that, you
saved me from a life of destruction. Yhaaa Whoooo what a great feeling
that will be, when you know you made a difference in someone's life.
REVISE March 13th 2011
James Anderson (James Cerebral Palsy Site)
(619) 715 9152