Teaching of Adversity

In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world —John 16:33

It is not usual to be cheerful in tribulation. When the world sees a Christian who is cheerful in adversity, they have questions. The answer is: Jesus has overcome the world. What is there in the world that needs to be overcome? Fear, death, and the grave. The world offers a loveless self-centered life. Jesus offers a life of power, love and fulfillment. But it’s not “magic.”
God does not give us overcoming life— He gives us life as we overcome.  If we remember that Jesus in the clouds, we know that growth is in the clouds, in adversity. We develop our spiritual muscles as we strain in adversity. We build our faith as we realize that Jesus (not us) has already won the victory. A saint can “be of good cheer” even when seemingly defeated by adversities, because victory is absurdly impossible to everyone, except God.

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