10 rules to overcome adversity

There is a  sad story in John 11, which describes the death of Lazarus. Jesus had developed close friendships with Mary, Martha, and Lazarus — two sisters and a brother in Bethany. It is a remarkable story which teaches us about overcoming adversity. The facts are plain, and reveal some rules which we can use to handle adversity.

Do something

1.  Since you love me you will do something for my suffering. (John 11:1-3:)  Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. ² (This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair.) ³ So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.” 

In our pain, we will usually reach out to those we know and love, to ask for help. Someone who will help provides a foothold for hope. Sometimes, all we need is a hug or words of encouragement to get us through.

God’s Plan

2. Adversity can be seen as part of God’s plan. ⁴ When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.”

This may seem difficult to confirm.   It can be easy to blame God in a condemning way., but that is not what is happening. As Jeremiah 29 11 says. ¹¹ For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.  When we focus on condemning God,we miss the reality that God may have a blessing wrapped in the situation we are in.

 The way to accept rather than to condemn is to look at God’s track record. He does come through.

God’s timing

3. God’s timing is not the same as ours.  ⁵ Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. ⁶ So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days, ⁷ and then he said to his disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.”

My timing would be, “This is terrible! Lets go now!” God’s timing deals with the circumstances we are in, and provides a plan to move forward.Many in Judea were angry and had been ready to stone Jesus a couple days ago. Clearly, a couple days was enough to cool down the anger that was circulating. Jesus responded in an interesting way. ⁹ Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Anyone who walks in the daytime will not stumble, for they see by this world’s light. ¹⁰ It is when a person walks at night that they stumble, for they have no light.”

Overcome

4.  We overcome when we walk with understanding.  “They see with this world’s light…” is an important phrase. Jesus is clearly saying this in a metaphorical sense.  “Walking without light” is a problem for the world. We need to proceed with the knowledge of Christ in our heart or we will stumble.

5. Stay calm, do not instill panic. In the news recently, the liberal press took umbrage to President Trump ‘lying” about the impact of covid-19 in talking to Bob Woodward. We all face problems, and any problem on its own is bad enough. It is sensible to not add to the pain by instilling panic.

¹¹ After he had said this, he went on to tell them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up.” ¹² His disciples replied, “Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better.” ¹³ Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep. ¹⁴ So then he told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead, ¹⁵ and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.”

Anticipate

6. Anticipating the event will take one of two forms:

• • • ‘Excited Anticipation’ – Can you imagine, being among those who are told something amazing will happen in a couple of days? (It would be a challenge to sleep!)
    • ‘Brace for Impact’ – ¹⁶ Then Thomas (also known as Didymus) said to the rest of the disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.” It is true that we may not have the faith to accept God’s truth,  until we can see it happen.

When we cannot believe, we can still follow through on  His command, at least. In Thomas’ case,  he was willing to obey and do what he did without full understanding even if such obedience might cost him his life. 

Respond

7. Respond to God’s love during adversity  ¹⁷ On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. ¹⁸ Now Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, ¹⁹ and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. ²⁰ When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home.

There are three ways to respond to adversity:

• • Option 1 – step out in faith and do something.  Martha goes out to meet Jesus on the way. ²¹ “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. ²² But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.” ²³ Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” ²⁴ Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”            ²⁵ Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; ²⁶ and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” ²⁷ “Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”
  • Option 2 – Get someone to motivate you–Mary brings Martha to Jesus. ²⁸ After she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary aside. “The Teacher is here,” she said, “and is asking for you.” ²⁹ When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. ³⁰ Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. 
  • Option 3 – Be a witness through lifestyle, and lead others. ³¹ When the Jews who had been with Mary in the house, comforting her, noticed how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there. ³² When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”

8. Jesus feels our pain.  ³³ When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. ³⁴ “Where have you laid him?” he asked. “Come and see, Lord,” they replied  ³⁵ Jesus wept. ³⁶ Then the Jews said, “See how he loved him!”

9. Decide on your Blame game.

• • • Many simply blame God rather than seek Him. They want solutions only on their own terms.  ³⁷ But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?”
      
    •  Rather than getting frustrated with them over assigning blame, he carried out God’s plan on schedule. ³⁸ Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. ³⁹ “Take away the stone,” he said.  “But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.”
    • In truth, handling adversity is not about blame or assignment of some belief to what you expect of God. It is merely a belief and trust in God. ⁴⁰ Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”  ⁴¹ So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. ⁴² I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.”
      

10. When the Word speaks, something will always happen. ⁴³ When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” ⁴⁴ The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.  Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”