Manna Monday | adversity & reliance on His strength

Good morning. Happy Monday. Adversity is a terrible thing to waste. It's something I've been wrestling with. Our team is going through a book called Unreasonable Hospitality.

In one of the chapters, it said, adversity is a terrible thing to waste. So I've just been processing that and meditating on that. And to me, what it means is that when you go through hard, because we're all gonna go through hard, we're all gonna have obstacles, injuries, and traumas, and when we go through adversity, if we don't learn in the valley, then I don't think we have an opportunity to grow at the level that we can. Our growth can be walking upstairs, or it can be taking an elevator. And so when trauma comes and when injuries come and when hardships come and when difficulties come, it's an opportunity to take the elevator, to grow at a more rapid pace.

And so what's your adversity? For me, when I laid out my 2025 growth plan, I didn't have "break my arm as a chiropractor," I didn't have that in my growth plan. But, I have grown so much through that adversity. I've learned so much in that adversity. And so for you, you're either at the top of a mountain, or you're in the bottom valley, or you're heading to one or the other.

You're either coming out of hard or going into hard. That is a reality of life. It's easy when you're in the valley to say, woe is me, but I would challenge you to flip that narrative and say, what's my opportunity? What can I learn? How can I grow?

What do I need to learn in this adversity so that I am stronger, that I'm more wise, and so that I can lead better. You are called to lead and lead the people around you. I believe we are all leaders. Leadership is influence. You are influencing someone, and in every opportunity of adversity, you can have the ability to use that to influence others for their good.

2 Corinthians 12:9 is another scripture I've been meditating on. As you go throughout this week, think about two things. Adversity is a terrible thing to waste. And number two, 2 Corinthians 12:9, that in your weakness, his strength is perfected. Paul writes that, I will boast the more in my weakness so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

In essence, in tribulations, in situations that are not favorable, that if you boast in your weakness, if you just surrender to your reality, then God has the ability to bless that season and teach you something. A question I like to ask myself is, God, let me see what you see. Let me hear what your thoughts are in this season of life. So as we go throughout this week, and if you're in hard, if you're in a tough situation, ask the question, what do I need to learn in this season? What is the Lord trying to teach me in this season?

And don't let adversity go to waste. Thanks for listening to today's Manna Monday episode.