A Closer Walk
“Behind every moment of adversity in your life, there is a blessing and a lesson,” Steve Harvey, host of “The Family Feud.” Mr. Harvey gives motivational talks to his audiences before or after his shows. They are available on Youtube. He talks about where he came from and the adversities he has experienced. Did you know, for example, that he stuttered as a child? Lived in his car for three years?
But let's go back to the quote. “Behind every moment of adversity in your life...” This part of his quote tells us that all of us have adversity. This affects each and every person. So far as we know, not a single person escapes adversity. Doesn't matter where they live, work, or relax, everyone is touched by adversity. Mr. Harvey also states in one of these talks that 10% of life is what happens to you; and 90% is what you do about it. We have almost no control over what happens to us. We have almost complete control over what we do in reaction to that happening.
He refers to adversity as a moment. “Behind every moment of adversity...” Adversity in many cases is temporary. If the adversity is a life altering event, where we must change our daily living or routine, that is a different type of adversity. But we must still adapt and live with the circumstance, the path that has been chosen for us to walk. Remember, we don't get to choose the path. But we must walk it. For many people the adversity is a passing event. And it came to pass, so to speak. “He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters...Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me,” Psalm 23:2 and 4 KJV. Our God causes us to lie down in green pastures and leads us beside still waters. And even though we may walk through the valley of the shadow of death, He is with us. We might even go so far as to say that life is merely a series of adversities connected by our reactions to each and how we adapted to a different or changing situation that the adversity brought.
According to Mr. Harvey, every, repeat every, moment of adversity harbors a blessing. Really? A blessing? This might be why our Lord commands us, “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you,” 1 Thessalonians 5:18 KJV. And “Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,” Ephesians 5:20 KJV. So we are to give thanks in adversity (in every thing give thanks) as we are experiencing it. Plus, we are commanded to give thanks for the adversity (giving thanks always for ALL things). If every adversity brings a blessing why wouldn't we want to give thanks for that?
Mr. Harvey states without equivocation that every moment of adversity also brings a lesson. We likely know that from our own experiences. Because it seems every departure from the path we thought we were on teaches us something. Agreed? And we come through this moment of adversity with more wisdom, more knowledge, and an experience we can look back on as a teachable moment. Whether the adversities were loss of a job, a health issue, or even something as minor as the store was out of our brand, we learn from them. And we are able to offer thanks to our Father in Heaven for our moments of adversity. And even during our moments of adversity. Because as children of the Living God we know that everything that comes into our life was ordained by Him. And chosen specifically for us.
“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose,” Romans 8:28 NASB.