In Chapter 10 (“All the Way to Victory! Looking Beyond Ourselves”), the concluding chapter of Emotions, Charles Stanley discusses three lessons the Lord teaches us during times of adversity.
1. God is training you to trust Him for all your needs. Our inward focus and self-reliant attitude is a terrible form of bondage. That’s exactly where Satan would love to keep us- limited by our own resources and not trusting in God’s provision. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we must rely on Jesus. Dr. Stanley states: “You learn the power of His presence in your pain, the depth of His love in your loss, and His patient wisdom despite your complaints.”
2. The Father is conforming you to the character of Christ. The Lord brings areas of bondage and ungodliness to the surface so we can be purged of them. He wants us to overflow with the fruit of the Spirit and beautifully reflect our Savior’s love to others. Dr. Stanley adds: “It is not always a pleasant process . . . but it is most certainly the best and most worthy one you could ever hope to engage in.”
3. God uses adversity to prepare you for ministry. Although we may be tempted to believe that our woundedness disqualifies us from serving the Lord, Dr. Stanley states that “the truth of the matter is that our brokenness is God’s requirement for maximum usefulness.”
Today’s question: Which of these teachings gives us the most comfort/encouragement during your desert, transformational journey? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: the Annotated Bibliography of Emotions
