God Always Wins: How to maximize the potential of adversity

By Paul Carrette

In the journey of life and the pursuit of ones purpose, adversity, disappointment and pain is inevitable. In this book Dr. Carrette provides a transparent view into his personal failures and disappointments, allowing the reader to customize the plethora of prescribed principles to their personal experiences. Dr. Carrette uses his adversity as a child, in his adolescence and adult life to remind us that life is not without despair, hurts, struggles and disappointments, yet the faithfulness of God is consistently threaded throughout our life experiences. It reminds us that "All things work together for good to those who love God and to those who are called according to His purpose." This book will keep you captivated as you are introduced to Dr. Carrette's personal pain and the positive outcomes that affirm the faithfulness of God. Get ready for a journey of human struggles as it intersects with God's amazing power!

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: May 12, 2020
• ISBN: 9781098315467

Book preview

2022

INTRODUCTION

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Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.

(1 Peter 4:12-13)

Thirty-five years of serving God, thirty years spent serving others in ministry. One moment that nearly swept it all away! I had never imagined being in such a dark place. My emotions were overwhelmed, my spiritual perspective impaired by the hovering clouds of depression and bitterness. Alone I sat in my family room, the television off, the games set aside, wondering if anyone would call with a word of encouragement. In my years of ministry, I had served thousands of people and assisted so many in navigating through life’s difficult moments. I wondered if anyone knew what I was going through and if they really cared! Then my oldest daughter walked into the room, "Daddie, she said, my friend told me to pass on a message to you. I wondered what message my daughter’s young Muslim friend could have for me. What did she say? I answered. Her message to me was almost ominous, yet so powerful that it would redefine my perspective and initiate a testimony of God’s incredible power to sustain us through a storm. God had broken through the deafening sound of my depression with a prophetic word from this young woman. He had intentionally bypassed my Christian compatriots and ministerial colleagues to speak into my life through my daughter’s young Muslim friend. On that day, He knew that in order to reach me, He had to use an extreme method. Her prophetically charged text relayed through my daughter’s voice, reverberated through the room, permeated my depressive state and introduced the tranquility of God into a troubled atmosphere. She said, Stay encouraged, God always wins!" It was exactly what I needed to hear in that moment; it is what all of us need to hear! Notwithstanding the severity of our situation and the accompanying sense of hopelessness, God always wins, and because He wins, we win! Our responsibility is to align ourselves with His purpose and believe that His Word and intent over our lives are indestructible. The psalmist, David, accurately transmitted this truth when he wrote:

The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked came against me to eat up my flesh, my enemies and foes, they stumbled and fell. Though an army may encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war may rise against me, in this I will be confident.

(Psalm 27:1-3)

Imagine being disappointed, broken and drowning in a hailstorm of bitterness and pain, only to have God speak to you in such a dramatic manner. My conversation with this young woman was limited to a casual greeting on two separate occasions; yet the word of the Lord transmitted through her was the fuel I needed to sustain me, provide godly perspective, and inspire me to victoriously navigate the most intense season of adversity I have ever encountered.

There is a tremendous sense of joy that floods one’s heart when you have worked tirelessly toward a goal, and you begin to reap the fruits of your labor. A business is finally profitable, a job is producing a deep sense of accomplishment, a ministry is changing lives and growing numerically. This is the reason that we entertain and nurture visions and work tirelessly towards a successful outcome. Yet one event, one person, one negative report can change the course of your life creating a deep sense of helplessness and a sudden reversal of fortune. In one passing moment, all of your aspirations can go into recession as you watch your dreams fade and the promise of success suddenly slipping through your helpless hands. However, when we successfully navigate through the discomfort of that painful experience, we develop an appreciation for the sustaining grace of God. We also learn that there is no better time to discover the power of God than the moments when life becomes clouded by uncertainty, and we are suddenly overwhelmed by adversity.

Translating the potential devastation of adversity into a practical, life enhancing experience requires tenacity, principled living, and faith that refuses to surrender. We must be willing to admit that adversity is neither a justifiable excuse nor a valid reason to give up. We must be willing to see the hand of God and discover His purpose, embracing our seasons of adversity as an opportunity to authenticate our faith in God and His faithfulness towards us. Adversity invades our lives from a variety of sources, so much so that it is difficult to prescribe a singular, cohesive approach to it. In this book, I will provide you with a few important principles to help you appreciate the presence of God and discover His faithfulness. It chronicles many of my life’s experiences, some of the important lessons that I have learned through them, and how God has threaded His faithfulness through the fabric of my seasons of adversity. You will learn that when we refuse to surrender and hold steadfastly to our faith in God, we discover that every season of adversity is impregnated with divine opportunities and that your confident response will result in the further affirmation of the indisputable truth that God always win‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬s!

Chapter 1

PURPOSE NEVER DIES

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For thus says the 

Lord

: After seventy years are completed at Babylon, I will visit you and perform My good word toward you, and cause you to return to this place. For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the 

Lord

, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.

(Jeremiah 29:10-11)

One of the keys to navigating through adverse circumstances is the assurance that while we may be buffeted by human frailties, the inconsistencies of those around us, and even occasional demonic attacks, God’s purpose for our existence cannot be destroyed by any human effort or demonic intervention. Once we receive a revelation of God’s purpose and we begin to obediently follow it, there is a certain grace and assurance of divine preservation that comes upon our lives. God will take care of you! Adversity may threaten and seemingly delay our purpose, but it does not have to derail it. In fact, the very thing that is seemingly delaying your purpose could very well be the vehicle that takes you there. God assumes personal responsibility for those who make His purpose their primary pursuit! Therefore, when facing a difficult moment in your life, your paramount concern should be how well you are aligned to God’s purpose for your life. If you are properly aligned, then everything God allows into your life will ultimately form the foundation upon which your purpose is launched and fulfilled. The most powerful anecdote against adversity is God’s purpose for your life!

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

(Romans 8:28)

By November 2015, Church of Living Waters had grown into a dynamic congregation, engaged in several community outreach programs, hosting an annual leadership conference, and cultivating a number of ministries. All of these auxiliaries were managed by a dynamic group of highly efficient, mature and passionate individuals. The church had long distanced itself from a history of mediocrity and stagnancy and was now considered a bright light in the community. There was no doubt that God had called me to this church and that He had given me a long-term vision to reach our community and to extend our ministry internationally. The vibrancy of the ministry was further affirmation of this progressive vision.

In 2008, at the urging of my bishop, I became the pastor of the church and inherited a small congregation of about fifteen people worshipping in a dilapidated building that looked more like a junk yard than a place of worship. At our introductory meeting with the neighborhood association president, he explained how much the community literally hated the church and longed for its permanent closure. Ironically, he was also a pastor. His obvious abhorrence for the church was not the result of its doctrinal position, but the deplorable condition of the building. The church’s unlit grounds made it a prime location for crime, including drug trafficking and prostitution. The leftover drug and sex paraphernalia gave evidence to the illegal and undesirable activities that turned the church property into what many described as the eye sore of the community.

At my infamous meeting with the neighborhood association president, I made a bold promise to him that if the neighbors would give me one year of grace, I would develop this church into a place that they would be proud of and one that would ultimately enhance the aesthetic and moral value of the community. Although I was uncertain about how I would keep this bold promise, I knew that God called me to the church and that my success hinged upon overseeing a