TEN TYPES OF AFFLICTION

As we continue to go through the series "WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE", tonight we talked about the statement "I AM AFFLICTED".

Once again borrowing from material of Mark Driscoll's, here is a run down of some of the common types of affliction that we face:

1. ADAMIC - We all are born with the common affliction of being a sinner living in a fallen world. Our own natural tendency towards sin and our world's tendency towards chaos and decay all stem from Adam and Eve's original sin and separation from God (Read Genesis 3).

2. CONSEQUENTIAL - These types of afflictions stem from someone's actions. It could be our own refusal to accept God and so our affliction is our separation from him. It could be poor choices causing consequences. Things like eating bad leading to sickness. Sleeping through class leading to flunking. Being lazy leading to unemployment. Or it might be someone else's sin or poor choices affecting you. Things like family poverty, abuse, and relational hurts all fall into this category.

3. DEMONIC - Yes, I know this one sounds scary and IT IS! The Bible teaches over and over again about the reality of evil spiritual beings waging war against God's people. Sometimes our affliction may be one of those attacks. Job is a perfect example of this type of affliction.

4. COLLECTIVE - Sometimes our affliction comes from our connection to a group of people. Maybe it's your family. Maybe it's your community. Maybe it's your country. When they are afflicted you are afflicted.

5. DISCIPLINARY - Another fun sounding one. This is actually one of the most positive types of affliction. This is God's working through adversity to help you to grow. You need patience; God gives you a situation to make you wait. You need to deal with anger; God gives you frustrations.

6. EMPATHETIC - This category is when we aren't actually afflicted ourselves but someone we care about is. We are afflicted because we care for the afflicted. This is when loved ones are sick or abused or abandoned. We hurt with them.

7. TESTIMONIAL - This type of affliction comes when we are afflicted because we follow Jesus. This type of affliction leads to us living in a way that glorifies God and shares true faith with others.

8. PREVENTATIVE - This is a common grace given to people to help them avoid further affliction. It's when we go to the doctor because of a pain and find out we were a heart attack waiting to happen.

9. MYSTERIOUS - This is the catch-everything-else category. So much affliction falls in this section. We just don't know. We're afflicted but we don't know the reason. God knows but we won't ever know the full mind of God. We have to learn to trust him in this type of affliction.

10. APOCALYPTIC - And then there is of course the affliction that will occur as we get closer to Christ's return for his people.

Remember, your affliction is NOT your IDENTITY; your IDENTITY in Christ gets you through your affliction. So try to figure out how to allow your affliction to be for others GOOD, your GROWTH, and God's GLORY.