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 On
Dec. 11, 1919, the citizens of Enterprise, Alabama, dedicated a
most unusual kind of monument on the main street of their city.
It was a monument to a pest! — to the boll weevil. In 1915 the
Mexican boll weevil had disastrously invaded the southeast
portion of Alabama, destroying a big portion of the cotton crop.
As cotton was the economic mainstay of that area, the effects
were immediate and devastating. But what appeared to be an
almost ungetoverable calamity turned out to be a great blessing
— because it forced the farmers to turn to diversified farming
which included raising peanuts. By 1917 Coffee county harvested
more peanuts than any other county in the nation. What had
looked like a great loss only paved the way for unexpected
prosperity. No wonder these fortunate people saw fit to show
their appreciation for the lowly boll weevil!
As
this story so aptly illustrates, adversity often carries with it
the seeds of unexpected blessings. We see it in the life of
Joseph whose misfortune of being sold into slavery by his
brothers proved a great blessing for Israel. Spiritual Israel
too, was born from the darkest hour in human history. From the
cross comes the crown; from the curse, the blessing (Gal. 3:13).
Persecutions scattered the early Christians and thus contributed
to the greatest growth ever experienced by the Lord's church.
Even Paul's imprisonment promoted the progress of the gospel
(Phil. 1:12-14). "Sweet are the uses of adversity, which,
like a toad, though ugly and venomous, wears yet a precious
jewel in its head" (Shakespeare).
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However,
the "sweetness" and blessings of adversity are not
apparent to all. Some, in fact, not only fail to see any good
from their troubles, they react with bitterness and resentment.
As with the boat, it is the "set of the sail" that
determines our course, even in contrary and unfavorable winds.
The Psalmist says, "It is good for me that I have been
afflicted..." (119:71). Adversity can be good for us
— it can be an effective teacher, but only when we are
receptive students — like the apostle Paul, for instance.
For
lesser men, Paul's thorn in the flesh may have served as an
excuse for doing less. But he accepted affliction as a benefit
— "that I should not be exalted overmuch". He could
even say, "I take pleasure in weaknesses, in injuries, in
necessities, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake:
for when I am weak, then am I strong." (2 Cor. 12:7,10).
Like Paul, we can learn important lessons in the school of
affliction — especially the lesson of humility. Adversity has
a way of revealing our littleness and insufficiency. It enhances
our appreciation for concerned friends, both earthly and
heavenly. In Christ we learn to evaluate our afflictions as
being light, temporary, and beneficial (2 Cor. 4:17).
"Boll
weevils" of affliction will continue to come — even to
the best of God's people. With an attitude of defeat and
despair, we only compound their bad effects. But with the eye of
faith we can see and appropriate something good from most all of
our misfortunes. Dan S. Shipley
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