How Does Adversity Become Opportunity?

Shortly after World War II, Victor Frankl released his seminal book, Man’s Search for Meaning. Reflecting on his years surviving in the Nazi Concentration camps of Auschwitz and Dachau while tapping into his work as a psychologist, Frankl argued that when one sees the greater meaning in their life, they can endure the “how” of the situation. The key phrase he uses throughout the book, a borrowed quote from Nietzsche, is “He who has a why can bear almost any how.” Frankl observed that those who had an underlying connection to something bigger than themselves could endure the adversity they faced to a greater degree.

While you and I might not face the sort of horrific adversity of Nazi concentration camps, we do face adversity through the course of our lives. Whether from physical, economic, social, or other struggles, we all go through seasons where it seems like life is coming against us, and we wonder if we will be able to make it through. It’s often in these times that we look for the deeper why…that underlying meaning of our existence. For those who follow Jesus, this is a key question in our faith journey. What is the deeper “why” of Christianity? And how can that impact the seasons of our life when we face adversity?

In his letter to the church in Philippi, the Apostle Paul is writing from prison because he had been arrested for preaching the good news of Jesus Christ. Talk about adversity! Yet, while in prison, he writes to encourage this church in the good news of Jesus. Paul, even as he is facing utter adversity, takes time to encourage this church to help them see how adversity can be transformed by being thought of as an opportunity.

Now, that seems easier said than done, so a natural question we might ask is, how am I supposed to do that? Adversity is hard, and it can cause us to feel like we’re in survival mode. So, how should we see and experience our adversity as opportunity?  By remembering that endurance inspires our faith.

“I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the Gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ.” -Philippians 1:12-13

When spring turns into summer, I have had the joy of playing on a softball team for many years now. Now, I am a natural competitor, and I have always loved the thrill of victory and hated the agony of defeat. The truth is, for a long time, when it came to anything I competed in, my aim was winning and nothing less. This was my “why” for competing. Because of this, there were many games where I never experienced the joy of the game because that was what I was all about. It was win or lose; if we lost, I was devastated. However, several years ago, I was challenged to approach the game differently. Recognizing that the purpose of competing, especially as I got older, wasn’t about winning but all the other things that competing brings. It was about the joy of teammates and camaraderie, the ability to do athletic things still, and striving for a purpose, but with the knowledge that it wouldn’t be a big deal in life if we lost. This process of shifting my purpose suddenly helped me to realize that no matter what the outcome of the game was, I could still experience life and joy. Every game was a win-win, no matter the outcome, because I had a better “why.” I’m not perfect in this; I still struggle at times, but I find joy despite the outcome as I keep my eyes on that deeper purpose.

When we face adversity, it is easy for us to take the focus off the deeper purpose of glorifying Christ and put it on something else, most prominently, ourselves. Too often, we see adversity through the lens of our desires for comfort, achievement, success, validation, goals, self-actualization, self-glorification, etc. The problem is when we do this, adversity and its potential outcomes don’t seem like wins; they seem like losses, and we avoid losses at any cost. When this happens, we will not see adversity as an opportunity but as a hindrance or barrier. But, when we step back and focus on the greater purpose of the Gospel, we can begin to see that because of Christ, any “loss” can be potential for “gain” because our larger purpose is about Him.

God created us for the larger purpose of glorifying Him; that is our ultimate purpose. But we have turned from that purpose in rebellion and sin and have sought to glorify ourselves. We face adversity because we exist in a world marked by sin. But Jesus came as God’s promised Messiah to redeem us by dying on the cross for our sins. And to vindicate His victory over sin, God raised Him from the dead so that we would know that God is redeeming what was lost due to sin and restoring it to what is right. When we come to trust in Jesus, we are saved from sin and restored to our ultimate and greater purpose, glorifying God in Jesus Christ. We do that now by living for Him and being part of His mission to spread that news in the world, and we will do that ultimately one day when we are restored with Him in a new creation. This is the ultimate win-win for us. When we trust in Jesus and connect with our ultimate purpose, then we win in life by glorying Him in our lives, and we win in death because it is then that we will be united with Him in glory forever. This allows us to see that we never “lose.” We might face adversity, but our victory is secure in Jesus.

Ultimately, I think Victor Frankl was right; the person with the right “why” can endure any “how.” And while I do not know the “hows” of adversity that you will face in your life, or even what you might even be facing today. What I do know, and what Paul reminds us of in this section, is that God has given us a greater “why” in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And, when you begin to see life through the lens of that “why,” it can cause you to endure whatever adverse “how” you might experience. Because when your goal and purpose is Jesus and His glory, you will begin to see adversity as an opportunity for the Gospel to advance and for Jesus Christ to continue to be glorified on earth! And that changes everything!