Ephesians
1:19 “…the immeasurable greatness of his power in us who believe, according to
the working of his great might…”
Permit me to ask: What will the
obstacles and opposition you meet do to you today? Will they make you bitter,
or will they make you better?
The last word is not with them, but
with you. If your own concerns and interests are truly "dead" and you
are committed to pursuing God's purposes, then the issue is not so much what
your circumstances will do to you, but what you will do to your circumstances.
The Christian who understands this has
the power to say to life, “Hit me with your best shot; I have the resources to
take every negative and turn it into a positive.” I am not saying you instantly laugh in the face of adversity; we do face situations that are painful, disappointing, scary and any number of other emotions. Those are real. I was deeply disappointed by some news I received yesterday. I felt sad and deflated. I allowed myself all of last night to feel what I felt and cry if those sneaky tears escaped down my cheeks. However, I knew my God is still in control and I gave myself the time limit. Today, I am looking forward to seeing what God has in-store for me next. Life dealt a painful blow; it knocked me down...but not out.
Nothing successfully opposes the
believer whose life is hidden with Christ in God. This is not to say you will
not face opposition, but nothing will be successful in opposing you. Jesus
once faced great opposition in His ministry: "They
were filled with madness, and began to discuss with one another what they
should do to Jesus" (Luke 6:11). Here was opposition in its most
terrifying form. What did Jesus do? Listen to the Weymouth translation: "About that time He went out into the hill country
to pray" (v.12). Prayer controlled, not the situation but the
outcome of the situation, and Jesus was the victor, not a victim.
One of the major purposes of God seems
to be that of producing character in His children. Not their ease, not their
happiness - except as a by-product - but their character. And how is character
produced? One way it is produced is through overcoming difficulties. So don't
groan at the obstacles and opposition that face you today - grow in them. They
help to sharpen your character - and your wits!
Ask God for power equal to your tasks,
not for task equal to your power.
No comments:
Post a Comment