Wednesday, July 29, 2009

adversity

Satan is referred to as the adversary. So, what does Satan have to do with adversity? Is adversity simply opposition? If so, then adversity is only adversity if a person perceives it as such. It must be opposite to what a person expected. Trials, challenges, etc. are simply opposite to what we had thought or believed would happen; or, opposite to what we have been taught to believe or expect to happen. Adversity is adversity because it is opposite, or different from something.

So, we look into the lives of others and label their experiences (pioneers, martyrs, etc.) as adversity when it may very well not be. If they did not perceive it as such it could not be defined as adversity. Did it have to be opposite from what they expected for their situation to be considered adversity to them?

We have to have meaning for suffering. We have to put labels on people and situations to provide motivation or inspiration for our own challenges. Is that it? We read or hear a story and affix our labels when perhaps those labels are quite false indeed.

Is Satan's only weapon his ability to be opposite? Is he clearly opposite? Perhaps more so than people will admit...

carry on.

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