Can a Christian walk in victory through adversity?
Some people go through really tough situations in life. For some, it’s just once off, and for others, it’s a continuous struggle, year in and year out. There are people who do wrong to you, and friends or family that hurt you. Employers that treat you unfairly, and financial hardships. In all these things, we can have victory in adversity.
The normal response of a Christian is to hold others who have wronged them accountable. If an employer has given unfair treatment and thereby caused adversity, the normal responses is to see a lawyer and hold the employer accountable. If it is a family member, this could be the case too. However, is this the way that God wants us to go? Is this what God wants for the Christian?
In 1 Corinthians 6:1-8 it says that Christians should not be taking Christians to court. It also asks why Christians don’t rather let themselves be treated wrongly or unfairly. This is not the common response. Recently, when I went through some adversity myself, I was astounded at the amount of people who told me to see a lawyer and hold the people who had done the wrong to account. But this is not what scripture wants us to do.
So is it possible to have victory in adversity? Yes by all means. Romans 8:37 says that we do have the victory in Christ. God is on the throne, and if we really understood who He was, and the strength, power and glory that belongs to Him, we wouldn’t worry about the future when adversity hits. If we understood that God is steady, secure, a place of refuge and someone who takes care of His children, we would put all the worries in His care. He promises to take care of them in 1 Peter 5:7 and in Matthew 6:25-34.
Through much prayer and growing closer to God, He will give us the strength to stand firm in adversity, but also to walk in victory over our situation. Matthew goes on to say that we should seek God’s Kingdom first. Walking in victory through adversity could mean standing there and letting others berate you with their words, not saying anything back. It could also mean walking away from an unfair situation with forgiveness instead of seeking accountability. It could mean showing love to your enemy, even though they’ve hurt you many times. It does not mean staying in the situation, but it does mean acting in a Godly way through the situation’s duration. It means giving the ugly to God and letting Him make something beautiful out of the ugly. It means completely and totally trusting Him for the future.
I have seen this happen so many times in my own life. Adversities will come, whether they are financial, emotional, personal, relational and so forth, but each time that I choose to obey God’s word and seek His Kingdom, He has given me victory in the adversity. With finances, I have never gone without paying a bill. With relationships, I have lost, and walked out, but did so with forgiveness and grace, even though I’ve been treated horribly, and God has given other relationships, much deeper and sweeter. And because I’ve sought His Kingdom first, I’ve seen God’s blessings follow. Because I chose to obey, He gave me victory in adversity as a Christian.
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