One of the greatest preachers in these modern times is Dr. John Henry Jowett. To everyone’s amazement, Dr. Jowett once said, “You seem to think that I have no ups and downs, but just a level and lofty stretch of spiritual attainment; but this is not true! I am often perfectly wretched, and almost everything in life appears most murky.”
“I am the subject of depression of spirit so fearful that I hope none of you ever get to such extremes of wretchedness as I go to.” These are the words of the modern-day prince of preachers, Charles H. Spurgeon.
“Discouragement is no respecter of persons. Discouragement seems to attack the successful far more than the unsuccessful, for the higher we climb the farther down we have to fall.” Warren Wiersbe.
There is no doubt that many believers have battled with adversity and discouragement, but did you know that God desires for you to use your adversity as a ministry to others? Look at II Corinthians 1:4, “Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.”
Dr. George Truett tells the story of an unbelieving couple whose baby suddenly died. Dr. Truett conducted the funeral and later had the joy of seeing this couple trust Jesus Christ as Savior. A few months later a young mother in their church lost her baby; and again, Dr. Truett was called upon to help comfort her. Nothing he shared with the young mother seemed to help. But at the funeral, the mother who had lost her baby just a few months earlier walked up and sat down by the grieving mother, placed her arms around her, and began to share with her how just a few months before God had called her little one home. As they wept together, it became very obvious that the first mother, because of her past experience, was able to minister to her when no one else could. The first mother did not let her adversity get the victory, but rather she used her adversity to minister to others.
We all face adversity in life; and this adversity will do one of two things to us. It will either cause us depression and defeat or open the door of opportunity for God to use us to minister to others. My prayer for each of you is that you will use your adversity to minister to others for God’s glory.
What to do:
✞ Use your adversity as a blessing to encourage others.
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