Lesson Ten
GROWING THROUGH ADVERSITY
(Chapter 12)
CENTRAL IDEA
Adversity causes us to develop Christlike character. For the believer all pain has meaning; all adversity is profitable.
Examining Trust
One of the many fascinating events in nature is the emergence of the Cecropia moth from its cocoon—an event that occurs only with much struggle on the part of the moth to free itself. The story is frequently told of someone who watched a moth go through this struggle. In an effort to help—and not realizing the necessity of the struggle—the viewer snipped the shell of the cocoon. Soon the moth came out with its wings all crimped and shriveled. But as the person watched, the wings remained weak. The moth, which in a few moments would have stretched those wings to fly, was now doomed to crawling out its brief life in frustration of ever being the beautiful creature God created it to be.
What the person in the story did not realize was that the struggle to emerge from the cocoon was an essential part of developing the muscle system of the moth’s body and pushing the body fluids out into the wings to expand them.
The adversities of life are much like the cocoon of the Cecropia moth. God uses them to develop the spiritual “muscle system” of our lives. We can be sure that the development of a beautiful Christlike character will not occur in our lives without adversity.
Fortunately God does not ask us how or when we want to grow. He is the Master Teacher, training His pupils when and how He deems best. He is, in the words of Jesus, the Gardener who prunes the branches of His vineyard. The healthy vine requires both nourishment and pruning. Through the Word of God we are nourished (see Psalm 1:2-3), but through adversity we are pruned. Both the Hebrew and Greek languages express discipline and teaching by the same word. God intends that we grow through the discipline of adversity as well as through instruction from His Word.
There are several things we can do in order to learn from adversity and receive the beneficial effects that God intends. First, we can submit to it—not reluctantly as the defeated general submits to his conqueror, but voluntarily as the patient on the operating table submits to the skilled hand of the surgeon as he wields his knife.
Second, to profit most from adversity, we should bring the Word of God to bear upon the situation. Martin Luther reportedly said, “Were it not for tribulation I should not understand the Scriptures.” We might say, then, that the Word of God and adversity have a synergistic effect as God uses both of them together to bring about growth in our lives that neither the Word nor adversity would accomplish by itself.
Third, in order to profit from our adversities we must remember them and the lessons we learned from them. God wants us to remember them, not just as trials or sorrows, but as His disciplines—His means of bringing about growth in our lives.
It is helpful to consider some of the specific ends God has in mind when He allows adversity in our lives.
Pruning. God uses adversity to loosen our grip on those things that are not true spiritual fruit. In adversity we begin to relinquish our desires and expectations—even good ones—to the sovereign will of God.
Holiness. Adversity causes us to grow in holiness because it reveals the corruption of our sinful nature. What we have mastered in good times may quickly fade in adversity, showing us the need to go deeper in our battle against the rebellion of our wills, the perversity of our affections, and the spiritual ignorance of our minds.
Dependence. God teaches us through adversity to rely on Him instead of ourselves. Apart from our union with Christ and a total reliance upon Him, we can do nothing that glorifies God.
Perseverance. God wants us to learn to do more than simply bear up under adversity. Perseverance is the quality of character that enables one to pursue a goal in spite of obstacles and difficulties.
Service. Adversity equips us for more effective service. It is necessary to make us into people who are fit for the responsibilities that God wants to give us.
The Fellowship of Suffering. Through adversity we have the privilege of entering into a special fellowship with other believers who are also in the throes of adversity. Suffering unites our hearts together in Christ more than any other aspect of fellowship.
Relationship with God. Perhaps the most valuable way we profit from adversity is in the deepening of our relationship with God. You and I obviously do not seek out adversity just so we can develop a deeper relationship with God. Rather, God, through adversity, seeks us out. It is God who draws us more and more into a deeper relationship with Him.
Developing Trust
1. a. Think about the fruit of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5:22-23. How does adversity encourage each of the following:
love
joy
peace
patience
goodness
faithfulness
gentleness
self-control
b. Which of these have grown in your own life through adversity?
c. Did the growth you experienced endure after the adversity passed? Explain.
2. a. Read Romans 5:3-5 and James 1:2-4. What should our attitude be in the midst of adversity, and why?
b. How did Jesus maintain this attitude (see Hebrews 12:2)?
c. How can we cultivate this same attitude?
3. What does Philippians 1:6 say about our spiritual growth?
4. a. What happens when we resist God’s working in our lives through adversity?
b. What warning is given to us in Job 36:21?
5. a. Have you been drawn to God’s Word in times of adversity? Why or why not?
b. What portions of Scripture have become especially important to you during trying times?
6. a. According to John 15:2 what is the purpose of God’s pruning?
b. Even in the church, Christians sometimes seek things that are not true spiritual fruit, such as position, success, and reputation. What counterfeit fruit have you been tempted to seek?
7. What is the connection between adversity (or discipline) and holiness, as expressed in Hebrews 12:10?
8. Read 2 Corinthians 1:8-9 and 12:10. How does adversity teach us to depend on God?
9. a. Hebrews 10:36 and 12:1 speak of the need to persevere. What is the goal of our perseverance?
b. How can we learn to persevere? (See question 2.)
10. a. Why does suffering deepen the fellowship between believers?
b. Describe a time when you experienced deeper fellowship through suffering.
11. What does Psalm 34:18 say about how adversity affects our relationship with God?
12. Which of the seven results of suffering—pruning, holiness, dependence, perseverance, service, fellowship, relationship with God—which are discussed under “Examining Trust”—have you personally experienced?
Trust in Action