Friday, December 15, 2006

GREATER GRACE IS STEEL!


Adversity can either break you or make you. The same hammer that breaks the glass, also sharpens the steel.

-Bob Johnson, Ex President of BET

rregardless of who you are or where you are in life, I'm sure you have some adversity. I haven't met a person yet that has found a way to truly live carefree 100% of the time. I've talked with multi-millionaires (at work), the extremely famous, and the extremely talented, even near geniuses... all of them still had problems that came up through the course of their lives (and continued to come as long as they are alive). Thus, the conclusion I came to was that irregardless of status, age, race, class, or gifting... adversity has no respect of person, it will forever be a part of this human existence. The same is true for churches.

Be that as it may, I am thankful for this truth. Not because I am a hater and want everyone who has ever walked the face of this earth to struggle as I have struggled. Nope, that's not it at all. I'm excited about this fact because I know that it is adversity (not prosperity) that reveals the core of a person. I believe Francis Bacon said it best: While prosperity best discovers vice, adversity best discovers virtue, and the virtue that comes from adversity is fortitude. The good things, which belong to prosperity, are to be wished, but the good things, which belong to adversity, are to be admired. Therefore we know not of our own strength that has not met adversity.

As we gear up to face another year in which we have yet to reach perfection in every area of our ministry... we REJOICE! We embrace the fact that we are being sharpened (not shattered) by the pressures of life. All things (good and bad) are working together for our good! Once the pressure is released from our current situation we will not only know our existing strength but also become accutely aware of new strength(s) that was born out of the process of being sharpened.


So, I conclude by asking "will you embrace the qualities of steel -or- those of glass?"
I know Greater Grace wants to be steel!!!

by Jermaine C. Donaldson

1 Comments:

At 10:52 AM, Blogger Kevin J. said...

I am truly excited about the direction Greater Grace Temple is headed. God has gifted the members of this body for an exciting work in the city of Anderson and abroad. Only God knows the extent and capacity we have for His favor and blessing in the months ahead.

 

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