GOD advances us spiritually through the times of adversity. Adversity may come from GOD or Satan or due to our own doing, sinning which will bring adversity in our lives.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10

9And he said to me, My grace is sufficient for you: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest on me. 10Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

Power of Christ flows through us in the times of adversity therefore we should be content during all types of adversities. That is when we learn and experience the resurrection power of LORD Jesus Christ.

Romans 2:4

4Or despise you the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?

So that good health and prosperity or absent of adversity in your life is not a guarantee that you are where GOD wants you to be or accomplished in your life what He wants you to accomplish.

GOD’s overall purpose in our life that He might be glorified in us.

Ephesians 1:4-5

4For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love

5he^b predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—

He sent His Son to cross to die for our sins. LORD Jesus says; when the Holy Spirit comes He will live His life through you and in you and when He comes you will be equipped and able to become and do what pleases the Father to do.

John 16:7

7Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.

John 10:30

30I and the Father are one.”

John 14:9

9Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.

1 Corinthians 6:17

17But whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit.

His purpose in us is that we reflect His life so that He might live His glorified life through us till He comes back. We are the servants, saints and children of GOD who are reflecting the life of LORD Jesus Christ. GOD glorifies Himself when He express through us our confidence, behaviour, conduct, conversation. When we are exemplifying LORD Jesus Christ He is most glorified. His purpose with us that we will reflect His very life.

GOD is in the process us conforming us, shaping us so that we repent our sins and GOD still allows advertises in our life. He chose us before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight, He predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ. That means GOD made some decisions in the eternity past about our life and those decisions are to do with more than simply forgiving us and pardoning us, it has to do with our life style, they have to do with our being count, they have to do with our reflection, they have to do with glory of GOD because GOD intended for this life for us to be GOD centred not self-centred.

Ask LORD ‘How would you like to express your life through me today?’

GOD sends adversity in our life to get our attention, to get us looking on level of our life we are not looking. If you only look at the surface of things you will miss somethings. GOD sees deep down in us, within us, all roots of attitudes we are not even aware ourselves.

His big purpose is growing us up in the likeness of LORD Jesus Christ to glorify the living GOD. We want GOD to build character of our LORD Jesus Christ in us.

Galatians 2:20

20I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

GOD’s one of the primary purpose of adversity in our lives is that; GOD wants to bring us to the experience of identification with Christ. Paul wants to deal with self which is dealt with crucifixion. Sin is dealt with confession. Paul says when LORD died I died, when He was buried I was buried, when He rose He raised me up as a new creation in Christ Jesus. Now Christ Jesus is living within me.

Colossians 3:4

4When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

We are identified in the crucifixion of Christ. I want to know Him in resurrection power. Dying to self is a self-crucifixion that means dying to your old self, who you were before you were saved, and once you are saved you can never be that any more. Because you became a new creation in Christ Jesus. GOD the Father has made you a new creation in Christ Jesus so that when you confess your faith in the atoning scarified death of LORD Jesus Christ, something happened in your life and transformed you to a new person and now LORD Jesus Christ become your life, you crucified, buried and raised with Him. Now you are a new creation in Christ Jesus.

Even though we are saved when He died my old self died, now I am free to live the resurrection power of Jesus Christ with all His power and goodness.

In Romans chapter 7 and 8 Paul says retched man that I am, free me from this body of myself which is his old self. He tried to deal with everything about himself. We are new creation in Christ Jesus. GOD crucified and buried it, now you are walking in the newness of life but if you don’t understand that and you don’t accept that you will keep doing the same thing, your old nature will hang around.

Your decision should be govern by GOD’s purpose in your life and accept the crucifixion by faith and walk in the spirit of a brand new life in Christ.

When He sends adversity in our lives He is building character deep down inside of you. LORD Jesus Christ now living within He can express His life in you freely. So people around you sees Him not you. He wants to bring you to a place He wants you to see how much ‘self’ is dominating you, your behaviour. He will keep sending the adversity in your life out of act of love in order to force us to cross, for experience of cross. That is love. The cross is expression of GOD’s love.

Say ‘LORD no longer my will but Your will’ till you come to that place you will struggle through life. You only have one life to magnify LORD Jesus Christ in your life. You cannot improve your old self it has to killed, crucified and buried. Let LORD Jesus Christ life flow through your life. A man crucified is helpless to help himself whereby we say not my will but Your will be done.

The length of the time of adversity depend upon our response. Our life can influence many people. Say LORD Jesus I am crucified with Christ nevertheless I live but You live within me. The life that I now live I live with the faith in Son of GOD. Not my will but Your will. Not my life but Your life from now on.