What Do I Do When Adversity Strikes?

What do you do when adversity strikes?  In our study of Paul’s letter of joy to the Philippian Church, we have talked a lot about adversity, and the fact that no one is immune from adversity.  Every person in the room is either in the middle of adversity or just coming out of adversity or about to enter adversity. 

 

One of my closest friends from college is a husband, father of 3 boys, and pastor.  He and his family started a church on the East Coast and pastored that church for 10 plus years before returning to Texas and taking an associate pastor position at a church in Austin.

 

Last month, my friend and his wife entered adversity.  Their oldest son, almost the same age as Caleigh, who is a collegiate athlete, found out that he has cancer, and he is 20 years.  It is cancer that started in his groin but is also in his stomach, lungs, around his heart, and has a spot on his brain.  What do you do when adversity strikes?

 

In Philippians 4, Paul addressed a crisis in the Philippian Church.  Now don’t get me wrong.  On paper, it certainly doesn’t seem like their crisis is of the same magnitude as the crisis I just described.    

 

However, for them, I’m sure it was.  For Paul, I’m sure it was.  Certainly, Paul experienced his own different crises throughout his life and ministry.  Remember his experience in this same place, Philippi, from Acts 16:11-25. 

 

In verses 16 and 18, he encountered a girl who was demon-possessed.  In verses 19-21, he and Silas were arrested.  In verses 22-24, they were stripped, beaten, and locked-up in prison.  Paul knew crisis.

 

At this time, there was significant division in the Philippian Church.  Two women in particular were at odds with each other.  Again, that doesn’t sound like a big deal, but to them, it was. 

 

We see Paul address them in verse 2.  They were Euodia and Syntyche, and Paul implored them, begged them, pleaded with them to be of the same mind in the Lord.

 

In verse 3, Paul even called on others in the church to help these two sisters in Christ come together.  The NKJV translation says “true companion,” but more than likely, this was the proper name of a man that Paul was calling on to help.  His name literally meant yokefellow, and Paul wanted the yokefellow to yoke these two ladies together or bring these two ladies together.  Paul also called on Clement to assist as well.

 

By the way, we in the church, brothers and sisters in Christ, are supposed to work out our conflicts differently than the world. We live in such a litigious culture, and shame on us when we let that culture come into the Body of Christ.  Paul called on others in the church to mediate this conflict between Euodia and Syntyche.

 

Also, do you know for certain this morning that your name is written in the Book of Life?  That is God’s book that has written in it each and every name of every person who has and who ever will call on the name of the promised Messiah, Jesus Christ, to save him or her.  You can make sure your name is written there today by calling on Jesus to save you this morning. 

 

From God’s Word, how do we respond?

 

 

1. Rejoice in the Lord, Philippians 4:4.

4 Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!

 

First, we can and should rejoice.  But what is there to rejoice about?  Notice the text.  Rejoice in the Lord.  Paul even said it twice.  We are to rejoice in and because of the Lord.

 

To rejoice is to make an intentional decision of choosing joy rather than being slave to our feelings and letting our circumstances determine our emotion. 

 

We can rejoice that God is in still in control: Psalm 103:19.

 

9 The Lord has established His throne in heaven,

And His kingdom (or sovereignty) rules over all.

 

We can rejoice that God is working all of life for our good and for His glory: Romans 8:28.

 

28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

 

We can rejoice that God promised to see us through: Psalm 1:1-3.

 

1 Blessed is the man

Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,

Nor stands in the path of sinners,

Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;

2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord,

And in His law he meditates day and night.

3 He shall be like a tree

Planted by the rivers of water,

That brings forth its fruit in its season,

Whose leaf also shall not wither;

And whatever he does shall prosper.

 

We can rejoice that God will meet our needs: Philippians 4:19.

 

19 And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

 

And, we can rejoice that God cares for us: Matthew 6:25-34.

 

25 “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?  28 “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; 29 and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?  31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

 

When adversity strikes, rejoice in the Lord.

 

 

2. Relax because of the Lord, Philippians 4:5-6a.

5 Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.  6 Be anxious for nothing.

 

Verse 6 says to be anxious for nothing.  Don’t worry about anything.  Instead, relax. 

 

Can we relax because we are immune to adversity?   Can we relax because adversity won’t hurt us?  We can relax because the Lord is at hand or near.  Heaven is so close.

 

I have said this before and repeat it this morning.  If you are follower of Christ, even the best of this life is the worst you will ever experience because of your future home in heaven.  However, if you aren’t a Christian, this life is the best you every experience as your eternity will be in hell.

 

Because the Lord is at hand, I can relax, and I can make sure that my gentleness is known by everyone that God puts in my path.  Why?  Because I am on my way to heaven.

 

Our English translations don’t seem to have an exact way to translate Paul’s sentiment in verse 5, but the NKJV says let your gentleness be known to all men.  Your translation may say graciousness or kindness.

 

Brothers and sisters, the world is watching how we handle adversity.  Will we get mad and seek revenge or hold a grudge or get mad at God and leave the church?  Relax because of where you’re headed and let your gentleness and kindness be known to every person that God puts in your path.

 

3. Request of the Lord, Philippians 4:6b.

…but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.

 

Instead of being anxious or worrying, we need to make our requests known to God through prayer. 

 

Thanksgiving should be our attitude in prayer.  In all things, we are to be thankful for the fact that God is good, and He does good to us and for us.

 

It is hard to distinguish prayer and supplication.  They both mean to speak or ask for definite answers to prayer. 

 

Instead of worrying about your marriage, request of God in prayer to fix you and your spouse.  Instead of worrying about your finances, request of God in prayer to fix your income and expenses.  Instead of worrying about your job, request of God in prayer to fix you coworkers and your employer.  Instead of worrying about your health, request of God to fix your family and your loved ones.

 

In everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. 

 

 

Conclusion

Perhaps the best part of today’s text is verse 7, and it is our conclusion.

 

7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

 

In verse 7, Paul described the result of all that he instructed in verses 2-6: rejoice, relax, request.  It is the peace of God…which is hard to explain because it surpasses all comprehension. 

 

Inner peace doesn’t make sense to the outside world.  When adversity strikes, it makes sense to panic and worry. However, the follower of Christ can have this mysterious peace of God.

 

Furthermore, it is that peace of God that stands as a guard over our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.  Why do we need our heart and mind guarded in adversity?

 

When adversity the strikes, the devil may say to you, “Is God for real?  If He was, would you even be experiencing this?”

 

The devil may also say, “If God is real, does He really love you?  If He did love you, wouldn’t He protect you from this?”

 

Or, “If God is real and does love you, is He still with you now?  It sure doesn’t feel like He is with you.  Don’t you really feel alone and abandoned?”

 

When you rejoice and relax and request, God guards our heart and mind from doubt.  We need that brothers and sisters. 

 

Finally, for some of you this morning, I want you to notice one caveat that pervades this passage of Scripture.  If you are not in Christ, what we have talked about today will be impossible for you. 

 

You can’t have the peace of God until you are at peace with God.  And that only comes through a personal and saving relationship with Jesus Christ.  Romans 5:1 says it like this.

 

1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

Today, if you are a follower of Christ, I hope you are encouraged from God’s Word. 

 

If you’re not, will you admit that you are a sinner?  Will you believe that Jesus died on the cross for your sins?  Will you call on Him as Lord and Savior and be saved?

 

At this time, please bow your heads and close your eyes.