The Blessings Of Adversity By James E. Faust

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go” Joshua 1:9. Adversity is what comes to mind when reading this verse. The Book of Joshua teaches us to accept the good things God provides for us; things like adversity, suffering, and perseverance. I chose this verse because God chose for me to go through something so horrifying at the age of seventeen. It is natural to ask God “why me” in a time of hardship that never think about the purpose he has for us. How can adversity and suffering be a good thing? Because learning to overcome something is what builds your character. It turns you into the person God created you to be; and you find ways

Resilience is about how an individual deals, resists, recovers and learns from adversity’s in life. If a child is resilient they are less likely to be damaged as a result of negative experiences and are more likely to learn from and move on. In order for a child to be resilient they need to believe in themselves and have others they can rely on in their lives.

Have you ever noticed that when you are going through something difficult but throughout the whole thing and in the end you usually end up bouncing back from this? I believe that a positive outlook and resilience seem to go hand in hand and is the main part of resilience. I believe that a positive outlook is the most important factor in resilience.

Much like the first chapter in the book of James is illustrated to challenge us to look at hardships from a different perspective and the trials God puts us through brings perseverance into our lives. Even though we may not find purpose in a trial, God will use that trial to integrate what we need for life (Precious Moments Bible, Jn. 1. 2-3). Once the trial God set for my mother was achieved, surviving breast cancer gave her a sense of ability to deal with reality in an idealistic manner for the reason that she has already made it through one of the toughest realities there is to

For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (ESV) Not only does the Lord magnify our strengths, he also transforms our

Resilience is a term that is often applied to those who have faced hardship and viewed the experience in a positive light as an opportunity to grow and change for the better (Wagnild & Collins, 2009). The definition however seems to vary from place to place. Ungar et al. (2008) stated “definitions of resilience are ambiguous when viewed across cultures" (p.174) which is why the understanding of resilience may be difficult to capture (as cited in Windle, Bennett & Noyes, 2011). Although the literature agrees on several common themes about resilience there are many varying opinions on how to define the concept or the attributing factors. Earvolino-Ramirez (2007) and

Why must we all face adversity? We learn from stories such as those of Adam and Eve, St. Augustine and Dante that adversity is not just there by coincidence, but is required for each of our heroes to grow and gain the knowledge necessary to return to God’s presence. We also know this as the temple pattern. Dante, explaining the necessity of adversity in his journey in The Divine Comedy, explains, “Of all that I have looked on with these eyes, thy goodness and thy power have fitted me the holiness and grace to recognize. Thou hast led me, a slave, to liberty, by every path, and using every means which to fulfil this task were granted thee.” We see that Dante understood, at the end of his journey, why it was important for him to feel the pains he felt in Hell and the uncertainty he felt in

Many things that we face in this life are just a testing of our faith and we must be willing and able to go through the challenges just like we would an obstacle course to reach the other side of it.

Sometimes he gives us obstacles to overcome to make us stronger, while other times he may bring good fortune. It may be hard at times to understand why God does what he does, but we must be able to take a step back and have faith in God’s plan.

Adversity is an inevitable component of human’s lives. Without it, individuals would glide through their existences without any mishappenings along the way and life would be nearly perfect. While this situation seems ideal, it is unrealistic and actually detrimental to personal development. The obstacles people face play a key role in shaping who they become. Without difficulties, individuals will not be exposed to real, purposeful problem solving skills. They will not receive the opportunity to face adversity head on and potentially come out victorious, all while learning a lesson and improving themselves along the way. If people become apathetic to their troubles, they are actually admitting a defeat. They will not get the chance to experience the satisfaction that is a result of besting misfortunes. In order to do this, individuals must use the pressure that these troubling times cause to their advantage by holding onto hope and the value of life. In The Shawshank Redemption, the text creator develops the idea that anyone can overcome the most terrible of situations if they remain patient, optimistic and logical. When Andy Dufresne is imprisoned as a result of false accusations, he uses his fortitude to inspire hope within other prisoners and eventually escape the harsh confinement. On the other hand, Red is transformed from a spiteful convict to an optimistic man upon meeting Andy. When individuals are placed under immense pressure over a long period of time, then they

Music has been a part of my life since the beginning. My Grandma Hammond, a music teacher, had me start right off into piano when I turned 7 years old. She has been my music teacher since then. I was taught all genres of music starting from classical to what is popular now. My favorite genres to learn were Jazz and Rock music pieces. I remember when I was the age of 12, I begged her to let me learn and play the song Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen for one of my music festivals. My Grandma disagreed at once about my idea because it was required of the piano students to play a classical piano piece. I was a good student and learned that festival piece, but little did she know I would also teach myself Bohemian Rhapsody and play it after my classical

Throughout the years, people who have encountered trauma, diversity, and anguish, to the extent of suffering, have been advised by the wise words of German philosopher, Friedrich Nietzsche. Nietzsche insisted “That which does not kill us, makes us stronger.”; however, does suffering actually yield positive outcomes? In Dr. Steve Taylor’s article, “Can Suffering Make Us Stronger?”, he advocates the findings of psychologists Richard Tedeschi and Lawrence Calhoun. Tedeschi and Calhoun conducted their research on people who had undergone tragic events such as illnesses, combat, and fires and concluded that people can show positive resilience in the face of crisis; thus coining the idea of post-traumatic growth. Post-traumatic growth indicates a positive psychological change as a result of adversity. Although suffering is typically viewed as a negative, withstanding traumatic experiences can reap deeper relationships, personal strengths, and newfound spirituality.

When I heard a term called resilience, I have no idea about it and think that it is not related to me. After I had a lecture with a topic resilience. I realize it is necessary and I need to face many adversity in my life. Also, I remember something happened in my past are shown my resilience level. I would like to share the story in my life to show the factors which are indicated in the last part can show resilience level.

I have been confronted with many obstacles throughout my life. Some adversity temporarily altered my course through life, while other hardships have shaped the person I have become. All of the adversity that I have overcome during my life has taught me how to be a stronger person and to not take anything for granted. I have

The concept of suffering plays an important role in Christianity, regarding such matters as moral conduct, spiritual advancement and ultimate destiny. Indeed an emphasis on suffering pervades the Gospel of Mark where, it can be argued, we are shown how to "journey through suffering" (Ditzel 2001) in the image of the "Suffering Son of Man" (Mark 8:32), Jesus Christ. Although theologians have suggested that Mark was written to strengthen the resolve of the early Christian community (Halpern 2002, Mayerfeld 2005), the underlying moral is not lost on a modern reader grappling with multifarious challenges regarding faith in the face of suffering. In his article "A Christian Response to Suffering", William Marravee (1987) describes suffering