Turning Adversity into Advantage |

John C. Maxwell said, “One of the major keys to success is to keep moving forward on this journey, making the best of the detours and interruptions, turning adversity into advantage.”

We should take notice of those who have done exactly that – turning adversity into advantage. Oh, how God loves those who willingly walk this pathway and become a beacon of light in the good AND the bad.

Horatio Spafford was a successful lawyer and businessman in Chicago in the 1800’s. He had a wife and 5 children. In 1871, his young son died of scarlet fever and that same year, he lost a lot of his business due to the Great Chicago Fire. In 1873, he boarded his wife and four daughters on a ship bound for Europe. Horatio had business to take care of and he would soon follow on another boat. During the trip, his family’s boat collided with another boat and sank in the middle of the ocean. His four daughters drowned.

Devastated, Horatio boarded another ship so he could be with his wife. As he passed the spot where his daughters had perished, he wrote the lyrics to one of the great hymns of the church, “It Is Well With My Soul.”

When peace like a river attendeth my way
When sorrows like sea billows roll,
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well with my soul.

I would say Horatio Spafford turned adversity into advantage. Imagine how many people have been comforted by the lyrics to this song, especially in the midst of their own grief and heartache.

Do we always turn our adversity around? No! When facing unforeseen circumstances, we often grumble, blame others, let bitterness grow, take our frustration out on others, stop talking to people, and harden our hearts toward God, family and friends. But it doesn’t have to be this way. So, I want to encourage you to do something else – TURN YOUR ADVERSITY INTO ADVANTAGE. Imagine the light you will be.

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Here are three ways to help us turn our adversity into advantage…

Control your emotions!

Proverbs 29:11 says, “A fool gives full vent to his spirit, but a wise man quietly holds it back.” Also in Proverbs, we read, “A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger quiets contention” (Proverbs 15:18). Wise words, wouldn’t you say?

The Bible tells us that “God [has given] us a spirit not of fear, but of power and love and self-control” (2 Timothy 1:7). And we learn that self-control is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). So the more we walk by the Spirit, the more we’ll be able to exercise control over our emotions.

We should learn to never act when we’re upset, hurt, or not feeling well. We should never act when our emotions are all over the board – when we feel something rising up in us. Nothing good ever comes from acting in our emotions. It’s always best to wait, pray, and maybe get outside advice, before doing anything. This will give you time to get your emotions under control and it’s then that our response will be God-driven, not emotion-driven.

2. Alter your perspective!

Basically, change the way you look at the situation. Paul writes, “So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For t he things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever” (2 Corinthians 4:18).

I believe this is how Paul learned to be content in every situation (Philippians 4:11). He simply altered his perspective. He found the positive in every situation and he knew that the struggle wouldn’t last forever.

Altering your perspective is wise advice.

3. Do the opposite!

Jesus said, “You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:43-44). Jesus is saying that we should do the opposite of what our fleshly nature wants. When people offend you, speak back with uplifting words. When someone hurts you, repay with kindness. When someone neglects you, show them how much you care for them.

I think we get the point. Our fleshly nature wants to scream and retaliate. But God tells us to do the complete opposite. This will surely help us to turn adversity into advantage. This is one powerful way to point people to Jesus.

I hope today’s post encourags you in your adversity. Please share it with others.

Blessings,