Adversity and Prosperity

Originally posted by josephw
[b]"...what is 'spiritual life'?"

Great question!

I believe that spiritual life is the life of Jesus Christ. His life is life, and without Him there is no life.

It's so simple.

2 Corinthians 11:3
But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

Believe and be saved to the only life there is.[/b]

A proper understanding of what is spiritual must include understanding the opposite which is carnal or fleshly... as Paul explained in Romans 8. Just like you cannot understand what light is until you appreciate darkness.

Originally posted by FMF
No, actually, I would like to know your answer to your own question.

"By the way, paragraph two of the original post will focus on examples of pressure which may hold potential for becoming adversity; paragraph three will focus on meeting the many unanticipated challenges of unanticipated prosperity; and the final paragraph will focus on our individual insights and conclusions. Thanks for your request." (my page two reply to twhitehead)
__________________________

Please be patient; I'm also committed to observing the thread's sequential paragraphs with my own replies.
Any and all subsequent off topic posts will be ignored.

Originally posted by josephw
My spiritual life is affected and impacted by the Word of God. Money, I suppose, can be a useful tool for impacting the spiritual lives of others by helping to publish the truth of God's Word the Bible. For example; right now Cuba needs a million Bibles. Five million dollars. If I spent five million dollars a day I could be rid of it in less than a year.

billion dollars, I'd give it away as fast as I could before I spent too much of it on myself! 😉

Well said, Joe; I concur with your reply except for the final sentence: rather than "give it away as fast as I could..." I'd seek professional guidance on sound investments for the benefit of my children, grandchildren and three expository bible teaching ministries.

Note: Paragraph two of the original post will be provided later today.

Originally posted by Rajk999
A proper understanding of what is spiritual must include understanding the opposite which is carnal or fleshly... as Paul explained in Romans 8. Just like you cannot understand what light is until you appreciate darkness.

Oh, I get it Radj! According to your theological perspective on what is spiritual one must needs sin in order to know what grace is! Right?

"A proper understanding of what is spiritual" to you means to know evil so you can know good?

Please quote the verse in Romans 8 you're referring to.

Originally posted by Grampy Bobby
Well said, Joe; I concur with your reply except for the final sentence: rather than "give it away as fast as I could..." I'd seek professional guidance on sound investments for the benefit of my children, grandchildren and three expository bible teaching ministries.

Note: Paragraph two of the original post will be provided later today.

I thought of that Bobby. I should have thought it through further. You are absolutely right of course. A million or a billion, I would most definitely seek professional financial counseling. Otherwise I'd end up squandering it! 😉

Originally posted by Grampy Bobby
[b]Adversity and Prosperity

Let's face facts. Unanticipated pressures are exerted on all of us by everyday events and people; it's what life does to us all. Adversity is what we allow those pressures to do to ourselves. Prosperity may or may not pose a similar challenge. Question: If you were to inherit one billion dollars from an anonymous source with no strings attached, in what ways would this windfall impact you and your spiritual life?[/b]

I'd spend most of it on rainforest or other important land and preserve it for the future

Originally posted by karoly aczel
I'd spend most of it on rainforest or other important land and preserve it for the future

karoly, thank you for your honest reply.

Originally posted by josephw
I thought of that Bobby. I should have thought it through further. You are absolutely right of course. A million or a billion, I would most definitely seek professional financial counseling. Otherwise I'd end up squandering it! 😉

Will, Joe, you could set aside a significant portion for an anonymous endowment to Red Hot Pawn which Russ could then designate to cover the annual subscription renewals for contributors to this spirituality forum who remain objective and focused. lol

Originally posted by Grampy Bobby (OP)
Adversity and Prosperity

Let's face facts. Unanticipated pressures are exerted on all of us by everyday events and people; it's what life does to us all. Adversity is what we allow those pressures to do to ourselves. Prosperity may or may not pose a similar challenge. Question: If you were to inherit one billion dollars from an anonymous source with no strings attached, in what ways would this windfall impact you and your spiritual life?

(OP 2) Here's paragraph two of the original post which focuses on examples of pressure which may hold potential for becoming adversity. These near universal pressures include but are not limited to the loss of a job or career; loss of equity in financial investments; the loss of domestic tranquility as the result of adultery and/or divorce; the rape or physical molestation of a child for whom you were responsible; the loss of health and extended hospitalization; the loss of a limb or hearing or vision due to an airline or automotive accident or serious injury during military deployment or an act of domestic terrorism [please feel free to add additional categories of pressure unintentionally omitted]. Questions; a) Which if any of these pressures have you personally observed within your immediate geographic periphery or experienced during your own lifetime? b) And to what extent have any of these unanticipated pressures become adversities?

“True character is revealed in the choices a human being makes under pressure - the greater the pressure, the deeper the revelation, the truer the choice to the character's essential nature.” ―Robert McKee

Originally posted by Grampy Bobby
Will, Joe, you could set aside a significant portion for an anonymous endowment to Red Hot Pawn which Russ could then designate to cover the annual subscription renewals for contributors to this spirituality forum who remain objective and focused. lol

That wouldn't be such a bad idea. I'm sure I would be spending a lot of time with financial advisors and accountants dolling out the dough to everyone I know.

At some point I'm sure I'd have to find a place to hide! 😉

Originally posted by josephw
That wouldn't be such a bad idea. I'm sure I would be spending a lot of time with financial advisors and accountants dolling out the dough to everyone I know.

At some point I'm sure I'd have to find a place to hide! 😉

Know of a nice secluded cabin with four bedrooms, a well stocked kitchen and hot tub in Appalachia.... any interest?

Originally posted by Grampy Bobby
Know of a nice secluded cabin with four bedrooms, a well stocked kitchen and hot tub in Appalachia.... any interest?

Yes, but I haven't won the lottery yet! 😉

Originally posted by josephw
Yes, but I haven't won the lottery yet! 😉

"... paragraph three will focus on meeting the many unanticipated challenges of unanticipated prosperity." (Page 2) There's still time.