Embracing Adversity

Reading time: 4 mins

‘The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows’ – Rocky Balboa

In some respects, the roughly 8.2 billion lives in our world today are more contrasted than ever. Millions of people live in relative historical wealth with running water, electricity, entertainment and healthy, tasty food. If you are reading this article, it is likely that you fall into this category. On the flipside, there are flashpoints of trauma and exceptionally difficult circumstances such as the war in Gaza, Ukraine, and the increasing number of asylum seekers and civil conflicts across the globe. Some people grow up and live experiencing mostly peace and prosperity, whereas others know nothing but struggle.

Looking back across time, if we are being honest, the comfortable living standard that many of us enjoy is somewhat of a historical outlier. Throughout the centuries people have commonly faced trials and difficulties; famine, migration, war and oppression. These have been the ‘normal’ experience of humanity. Often, societies and individuals have grown stronger, more defined, through these experiences.

We shouldn’t be guilty because of our vantage point, but it does mean that we should reflect on the place of adversity, and how to a certain extent it can be embraced for our development. For us, it is likely to be on a smaller scale, but in doing so, we can become more compassionate, helpful and sensitive to other’s experiences. We can learn more about how2behuman.

Jesus took this path in its fullest sense and provides an example for us to follow. The Bible describes how he stepped down from heaven to be our High Priest (Hebrews 4:15), by living with us and dying in the way that we do. He knew that adversity shapes us so that we learn to serve, not just to gain.

² Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,^[a] whenever you face trials of many kinds, ³ because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. ⁴ Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. James 1 2:4