Learning How Paul Made the Most of the Life’s Difficulties
(2 Cor. 6:3-13)
Illustration:John Quincy Adams held more important offices than anyone else in the history of the U.S. He served with distinction as president, senator, congressman, minister to major European powers, and participated in various capacities in the American Revolution, the War of 1812, and events leading to the Civil War. Yet, at age 70, with much of that behind him, he wrote, "My whole life has been a succession of disappointments. I can scarcely recollect a single instance of success in anything that I ever undertook."
Charles Sell, Unfinished Business, Multnomah, 1989, p. 233.
Let us learn how to make the most of difficulties instead of always feeling discouraged by our circumstances.
All of the following application principles were practiced by the apostle Paul who knew how to live out what he taught, "unknown, yet well known, dying, yet behold we live, sorrowful, yet always rejoicing, poor yet making many rich, having nothing and yet possessing all things. Always carrying about in our bodies the life of the Lord Jesus."
1. Learn how to commit yourself to God’s purposes in every situation as He has the sovereign power to work all things together for good. (Rom. 8:28,29)
2. Learn how to deal with sorrow yet always be rejoicing in the Lord and in His promises so that you are thankful in all things. (I Thes. 5:16-18)
3. Learn how to be poor yet make many rich since you have the assurance God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. (Phil 4:19)
4. Learn how to be content with little realizing that you are possessing all good things through Christ Jesus. (2 Cor. 5:19,20)
5. Learn how to be beaten down yet still remain a conqueror through Him who loves you. (Rom. 8:37)
6. Learn how to remember that while others may not affirm you, the Holy Spirit lives to make intercession for you with groaning and travailing too deep for words. (Rom. 8:26,27)
7. Learn how to be despised and rejected by men so you can identify closer with Jesus who was a man of sorrow and acquainted with grief and like one who men hid their heads. (Isa 53:1-9)
8. Learn how to deal with discouraged while remaining encouraged in Christ as Paul promised in Philippians 2:1,2.
9. Learn how to feel loneliness while remembering that you have a friend in Jesus. “You are my friends if you do what I command you.” (John 15:13)
10. Learn how to deal with betrayal while recalling that He will never leave us or forsake us so that we can confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper, from whom then shall I be afraid.”
11. Learn how to carry your cross while knowing that He will bear our every burden while allowing us to do everything God asks us to do with the help of Christ who gives us the strength and power. (Phil. 4:13)
12. Learn how to feel angry, resentful, jealous or envious without sinning. Remember that we can put aside these emotions and replace them with a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience, bearing with one another, forgiving one another just as God in Christ has forgiven us. (Eph. 4:28-32)
13. Learn how to lack amenities, services and provisions without growing resentful, bitter or self-pitying. Trust the Lord to help you find replacement means of getting your needs met as you claim the promise, “The Lord is my shepherd, I will not be in need of any good thing.” (Psa. 23:1)
14. Learn how to profit from every hardship so you can say, He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.” (Psa 23:2,3)
15. Learn how to be criticized without feeling like you have to retaliate or taking it personally. Take up the full armor of God while being strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. (Eph. 6:10-18)
16. Learn how to be persecuted while learning how this will help you grow in all aspects into Christ as you continue to speak the truth in love. (Eph. 4:15)
17. Learn how to deal with loveless situations and people while asking the Lord to teach you more about all the dimensions of the breadth, length, height and depth of His great love. (Eph. 3:14-19)
18. Learn how to be troubled without giving into discouragement, despondency, or depression. Trust the Lord to lift your spirits as David wrote, “The glory and the lifter of my head. For Thou Oh Lord art a shield for me.”
19. Learn how to be oppressed by authorities without giving into the feeling that you are victim or that you are helpless. “Trust the Lord to fight your battles for you.”
20. Learn how to be abused by leaders but grow wiser, stronger and more enabled by your improved defensive and preventative strategies in the days to come.
21. Learn how to be betrayed without being crushed knowing that Jesus was sold for 30 pieces of silver by Judas and yet He triumphed by completing 100% of God’s will. Jesus learned obedience by the things He suffered. (Heb. 5:8)
22. Learn how to take rebukes, corrections and advise without becoming so humiliated that you feel like quitting. It is in the nature of God’s word to continually teach, reprove, correct and train us in righteousness. (2 Tim. 3:16)
23. Learn how to be pressured without giving in to defeat. Think of how God promises us a way of escape so that we can bear up and find an escape from every temptation and trial.
24. Learn how to thank God for every sandpaper person that comes into your life. Count it all joy when you encounter various trials knowing that the trial of your faith works endurance so that you can be perfect, complete & lacking nothing. (James 1:2-5)
25. Learn how to become better rather than bitter from every problem. (Heb. 12:15)
26. Learn how to grow more intimate with the Lord and reliant on Him through a consistent hour of devotions every morning less you become like Martha. (Lk 10:38-42)
27. Learn how to develop a thick skin for the bad reports and false accusations that are hurled at you. Paul said, “I do not let others judge me and I do not even judge myself for the Lord is the one who judges rightly.”
28. Learn how to feel boredom but use it as a catalyst to become more creative, productive and focused on God’s kingdom priorities and His righteousness.
29. Learn how to find motivation in the setbacks of life by using these to make you wiser, stronger and more determined to give God glory, love Him and your neighbor as yourself and to help fulfill the great commission.
30. Learn how to be use disappointments to help you be more committed to Christ than to my own vision or projects or perceptions.
31. Learn how to carry your cross in a way that is designed by God. Remember that we can take upon Christ’s yoke and learn more of Him for He is gentle and humble of heart and we will find rest for our souls.
32. Learn how to grow from people or circumstances that let you down. Trust the Lord to help you trust and obey for there is no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey. Know that if people let you down the Lord will lift you up.
33. Learn how to take sickness as a way of growing more trusting in the Lord to direct your paths with what He graciously gives you. Paul said, “Three times I ask the Lord to take away my thorn but He said, “My grace is sufficient for you for my power is perfected in weakness. Most gladly therefore, will I boast in my weakness that the power of Christ may rest in me.” (2 Cor. 12:9,10)
34. Learn how to feel anger, fear or fleshly emotions of lust without giving them control over your will. Trust the Lord to help you to choose to focus your attention away from the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life back on to a greater love and contribution to the cause of Christ.
35. Learn how to be misunderstood without expecting others to see things from your point of view. Ask the Lord to grant you the serenity to accept the things you cannot change, the courage to change the things you can and the wisdom to know the difference. (I cor. 4:1-6)
36. Learn how to be unified in the Spirit while allowing for diversity in the spiritual gifts, temperaments and world view perspectives of others. (Phil. 2:1,2)
37. Learn how to let hardships reveal more about the person through their reactions than the situation that may be causing the difficulties. (Phil. 3:8-10)
38. Learn how to grow wiser, stronger and more like Christ through every situation so you never grow dull, complacent or ineffective. (Phil. 4:13)
39. Learn how to create a win-win situation with abusive authorities so that you do not become an adversary, but an advocate, a charmer and an ally of what is good. (I cor. 9:19-23)
40. Learn how to not let difficult people or difficult situations control you but remember the promise of Paul, “Do not be overcome with evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Rom. 12:21)
Conclusion:An optimist believes we live in the best of all possible worlds. A pessimist fears this is true. The tire is only flat on the bottom. Winners see risk as opportunity. They see the rewards of success in advance. They do not fear the penalties of failure. The winning individual knows that bad luck is attracted by negative thinking and that an attitude of optimistic expectancy is the surest way to create an upward cycle and to attract the best of luck most of the time. Winners know that so-called luck is the intersection of preparation and opportunity. If an individual is not prepared, he or she simply does not see or take advantage of a situation. Opportunities are always around, but only those who are prepared utilize them effectively.
Source Unknown.
