If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small. (Proverbs 24:10)

Some days are worse than others. Some seasons are more difficult than others. And some years are harder than others. But, whether we like it or not, they are coming. The “day of adversity” our Proverb mentions is on its way; it will arrive.

When it does, if you faint, your strength is small. Does this sound harsh? It’s not, I promise. It’s just true. You don’t become strong on the day of adversity but before it. The day of adversity reveals how strong you truly are.

Think of an Olympic weight-lifter. They train so they can shine on the day of competition. They do not work out on the day of the performance. No, that day is for demonstrating their strength. All the previous days and weeks and months and years of training built up their strength for that moment.

Perhaps this will help you as you consider your walk with God today. You know the day of adversity is coming. As Christ-followers, we even choose some days of adversity as we take on the burden of Christ for the lost, the broken, and the marginalized. We know trials are coming, but we also choose trials on behalf of others, just as Christ chose the cross on our behalf. And for those days of adversity we will need strength, so we ought to “train ourselves for godliness” (1 Timothy 4:7).

What you do today is preparing you for the day of adversity tomorrow. Just as Jesus told his disciples to “watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation,” so must we watch and pray so that the strength of Christ can come upon us. Tomorrow, when the day of adversity comes, we will need it.