Adversity

Fellowship of Pain

Everyone experiences difficulties in life, and those difficulties did not necessarily come from God.  But even before you were born, God knew the adversity you would face, and He did two things:  First, He gave you everything you would need to persevere.  And second -- and this is the part often overlooked -- He made sure you would have plenty of opportunity to ...

Don't Ask Why, Ask How

When tragedy strikes, people often ask: Why does God let bad things happen? This question has been debated forever.  Some people believe God has a plan for each one of us, and events, good and bad, happen for a reason. Others believe God does not direct the tragedies that occur in this world. Bad things just happen; people make evil choices, and God is as ...

No Pain, No Gain

Nobody wants to have problems in life.  That is just simple human nature. It is also human nature to want inner peace, to feel calm and content. You may tend to believe peace will arrive when your problems depart.  But inner peace does not come from resolving your problems.  Instead, it comes from cultivating perspective, meaning and wisdom precisely ...

Place of the Break

If you break a bone, often when the cast is removed, another x-ray is taken that shows the previously broken bone as being a much brighter and more solid white on the x-ray than all the surrounding bones.  Doctors say such x-rays are typical because the place of the break is the place of greatest strength. That is a profound statement, not as it relates to broken ...