I just finished reading a devotional that changed my mindset on hardship..primarily conflict. I don’t like conflict. I am married to someone who doesn’t like confrontation. That’s actually a pretty good combination except when you have it: conflict. Someone has to talk or respond to conflict and hardship. Usually it’s negative. Our fur gets rattled, the hair on the back of our neck stands ups, we talk in higher voices and we get edgy; extremely edgy and irritated and NOT nice.
The devotion challenged me to think of hardship or conflict as opportunity. Opportunity to live by faith. When someone totally disagrees with me, that’s my chance to love like Jesus would have loved. To listen and love not listen and prepare my response. Opportunity to live and possibly die professing the faith I claim to have. Cancer, accidents, life changing and life limiting gives me the open door to live like I am dying, which ironically I am. These times give me a chance to let people see what my faith is worth. When bad things happen, find some good in them. Esther, made for a time such as this, Joseph, you mean it for evil, God meant it for good.
This past two years have been hardship. Things that I would have never imagined, coming into my back door and leaping on my back. Not just leaping in my back, but gripping with claws and tearing the skin, conflict from people I would have never dreamed conflict with, in ways that back my mouth gape with shock. I stand there with my mouth hanging open, surprised and appalled and how do I respond? God wanted me to respond with an opportunity to be Jesus in the moment. I don’t want to be Jesus. I want to be right. I want to feel that justice is served. I want poor leadership to be fired. I want the incompetent to be replaced with those who have the ability. I want the words to be taken back and an apology given. I want a hug not another slashing of the spiritual tire on my heart. I want a friend not an enemy… How do I see opportunity?
I see it by knowing that I have been forgiven much and loved much by a God who simply spoke and things were created. I look outside my window and see the sun rising and no one had to tell it to. I hear the phone ring, yes I was asleep, and I am talking to someone thousands of miles away because Jesus loved us both and we have this cool common bond where in normal life we would have nothing in common. Opportunity …. Hardship… equals… a touch mouthful on a Thursday morning…
Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” So I don’t have to “do” the opportunity, God will do it through Christ through me. Makes it seem to be something it maybe can handle….
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