1.16.18-How to Handle Adversity

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1.16.18

An old farmer owned an old mule.  The mule fell into the farmer’s well.  The farmer heard the mule braying.  After carefully assessing the situation, the farmer sympathized with the mule, but decided that neither the mule or the well was worth the trouble of saving.  Instead, he called his neighbors together and told them what had happened...and enlisted them to help haul dirt to bury the old mule in the well and put him out of his misery.  Initially, the old mule was hysterical!  But as the farmer and his neighbors continued shoveling and the dirt hit his back…a though struck him.  It suddenly dawned on him that every time a shovel load of dirt landed on his back…HE SHOULD SHAKE IT OFF AND STEP UP!  This he did, blow after blow.  “Shake it off and step up…shake it off and step up…shake it off and step up!”  he repeated to encourage himself.  No matter how painful the blows, or distressing the situation seemed the old mule fought the “panic” and just kept right on SHAKING IT OFF AND STEPPING UP!  You’re right!  It wasn’t long before the old mule, battered and exhausted. STEPPED TRIUMPHANTLY OVER THE WALL OF THAT WELL!  What seemed like it would bury him actually blessed him…all because of the manner in which he handled the adversity.


Matthew 16.
21 From that time [r]Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised up on the third day. 22 Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “[s]God forbid it, Lord! This shall never [t]happen to You.” 23 But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on [u]God’s interests, but man’s.”

Discipleship Is Costly

24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. 25 For whoever wishes to save his [v]life will lose it; but whoever loses his [w]life for My sake will find it. 26 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 27 For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and will then [x]repay every man according to his [y]deeds.
28 “Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.”

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