Adversity. We all have it, and we all don’t like it. Adversity looks different for everyone. Maybe you or a family member are chronically sick, or you’re mourning the loss of a loved one, or recovering from an injury, or maybe you're sleep-deprived and struggling through each day with patience and love for your kids. Maybe you want to be married but God has you in a season of singleness. Maybe you’re married and struggling with being happy in that marriage, or maybe you're struggling with the fact that God is in control, and you are not. Whatever it may be, we all struggle with something. Sometimes it’s big, and sometimes it’s small. But it doesn’t matter because it is a struggle for us!
Originally, I had a different topic for this month's post. But a day or two before I was going to sit down and start writing, a few things happened that shook me up a bit that led me to write about adversity instead.
When we were buying our house, I was so excited but there was one thing that made me nervous. I really wanted nice and friendly neighbors who liked us! We moved into a cul-de-sac with four other houses and all of our neighbors were so welcoming. They introduced themselves, offered help, fixed our mailbox, helped Nick move stuff in the garage when I was too pregnant to help, and overall were very kind. I thought we scored! And then a few months later things began to shift.
We believe that having church in our home every Sunday started to cause some issues with some of our neighbors. One neighbor started putting two orange cones out in front of his house to keep people from parking there because he doesn’t like cars parked in front of his house. And we found out that he considered trying to turn us in for having a church in our home. Another neighbor, one who was particularly the nicest and most helpful when we moved in, no longer speaks to us. He got upset with one of the men in our church when he was leaving one Sunday. I have tried to say hi, Zion has tried, and he just walks away and ignores us. Nick tried to talk to him and apologize for the incident with our church member but he barely accepted it and closed the garage on Nick when he tried to ask him another question. I was shocked that a grown man could be this angry at us to straight up ignore us and be rude to Nick’s face. It made me really sad actually.
Starting a church is HARD. It comes with many challenges. And we were totally in a good phase too. Kids are fun and behaving, our church is growing, we are loving it in the northwest, and then this happened. But it’s not just starting a church… simply being a Christian is hard. We are faced with challenges and spiritual warfare just for loving Jesus.
A good friend of mine reminded me that trials help grow our faith. God entrusts us with trials so that we can be a light for His Kingdom. When we are put to the fire, will we back away? Give up? Run in the opposite direction? No! God’s Word says we will face trials of many kinds (James 1:2), we will be persecuted for our faith (Matthew 5:11), and we have a real enemy out there who wants to destroy us. (1 Peter 5:8)
“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.”
Matthew 5:11
“Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.”
1 Peter 5:8-9
At first, when this all happened with our neighbors, I was really sad. Uncomfortable. A little fearful thinking that people who don’t like us might try and hurt us, my kids, or our home. I just feel awkward and don’t want to go outside or see them. I just wish I knew what we did wrong. But after I sent out a prayer request to many of my close friends I was encouraged and reminded that…
“...our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
Ephesians 6:12
This situation is spiritual and not personal. And it is our job to be the light of Jesus. We are safe under the care of the Lord and His Sovereign hand. Nothing can touch us that hasn’t first passed through His loving hands, and any evil intended against us will be worked out for our good. (Romans 8:28) So whatever happens moving forward it is good!
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
John 16:33
One thing I want to point out is that not all adversity is spiritual. Well, everything is spiritual because God’s hand is in it, but not everything is an attack from the enemy. Some trials we go through are due to our sin, a lesson we need to learn, or that the works of God might be manifest in our life (John 9:3). We don’t want to give Satan that much credit saying that everything is spiritual warfare. If you are facing a challenge in your life, first ask yourself if there are sins you need to repent of or a stronghold in your life that you need to surrender to Christ. Once you do that, then you can start to analyze the other avenues of spiritual attacks.
I think that sometimes I get caught up in life and our move up here and I forget WHY we moved up here. I’m so focused on my kids and my wants and what next adventure we’re going to go on and how to survive the cold that when we are faced with a situation like this, I take it personally. Nick has been reminding me that we are a fragrance of life to those that love Jesus, but a fragrance of death to those that do not believe.
“For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are an aroma that brings death; to the other, an aroma that brings life. And who is equal to such a task?”
2 Corinthians 2:15-16
So when it’s all said and done we endure all for the sake of Christ. He called us up here to Vancouver, he gave us this home, He is growing His church, and He is in control of our lives. So we have nothing to worry about. No matter what type of adversity you are facing, know that our Savior Jesus Christ is at work. Keep going. Shine that light in the darkest places. Run from sin and to Jesus. And trust that God will work all things for His good and make you complete.
“being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 1:6
Jess T.
Prayer Requests
That God will change the hearts of our neighbors
That our neighbor will meet and talk with Nick about what is going on and we can find reconciliation
That God will provide a building for us to have church in soon
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