Opposition...Discussion (That means you talk too!)
Hopefully a lot of you were in the service on Sunday. The executive pastor from Metro Ministries in New York preached an encouraging sermon. His first point was about how there is opposition in the life of a Christian, often before good things are about to happen. This is especially true for those of us who are trying to reach out into the community with God's message of hope and love. I experienced this opposition in the midst of trying to prepare the lesson for this week. The lesson is on being saved, the most dangerous one for the enemy. What I faced would probably seem to be no big deal to you, and maybe that's the point. Opposition can be blatant, but it's often subtle and hard to recognize. It can be something as simple as a souring mood. The enemy can't change your mood, but he can lead you down a destructive path of thoughts if you allow it.
I want to encourage you to be on your guard during these weeks of Mission:Adventure. This ministry has great potential and the enemy is not interested in that potential being realized. He will try to get us down, to divide us, to make us ineffective, to make us want to give up, and to do anything else that would work against what God is planning. Believe it or not, a lot of the opposition comes through our own minds. Sure, circumstances may seem to work against us, but the circumstances are only the food for thoughts that the enemy wants us to entertain and believe.
So how do we be on guard? I have my own thoughts and Bible verses that I will share, but what do you think? How do we not allow the opposition to affect us?
posted by marvin @ 1:14 PM
3 Comments:
Well, I guess I should get the ball rolling on this one.
I can personally count a few times where, before MA began I was experiencing opposition. The scary part was that I didn't even realise it untill afterward. Many times it was merely a negative thought that caused me to go into a very bad and lazy mood. Other times, it would be a simple thought that i wasn't valued in this group of people, that my input and work wasnt appreciated. What I've had to work myself at is keeping the goal in sight, and knowing that this is exactly what God wants me to do. When ever these thoughts begin to affect my work, I try to ask God to give me a lift, and alot of times, it will be there. At the very least, if I have a negative thought, i keep it IN. I dont say anything and my outward appearance is positive. That way the team doesnt get brought down.
James 4:7,8a "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you."
One thing that gets me down and feels like a constant roadblock is the fact that the bus is almost always late and that is one thing that i can't stand yet it seems that almost every week the bus is a good 10-15 min late which in turn makes me late for MA. So i have to keep reminding myself to pray for God's strength to keep it from dragging me down and remembering why I am doing MA and that being a few min later isn't going to ruin everything it just might make things a little more crazy but I know that i will get there. So through out this summer even though it feels like roadblocks I guess it could also be God telling me to be patient as well.
something else i also realized after writing what i first wrote is that when the bus makes me late and i start to get frustrated with it i also stop thinking about the real reason i am going and am only thinking about the problem i am having not the fact that the whole reason for doing this is to bring more children and possibly even some of their parent to God and i seem to lose focus on our real purpose so instead of thinking about just myself i need to pray to keep my focus on the real goal and not my own problems.
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