“A great door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many who oppose me.” (1 Corinthians 16:9)
Yes, God can open doors for fruitful service to His Kingdom and we can be in the very center of God’s will, doing all that pleases Him. Yet there will very likely be affliction and opposition from some source. Paul testifies to this here and any study of his life reveals that he suffered persecution and opposition through all his ministry.
Why does this happen? The greatest source of our woes is the devil. Either he or his demons will attack us directly or they’ll inspire others to oppose us or they’ll attack our circumstances. Why? Because Satan sees our efforts as a direct threat to his kingdom. He sees the strategic importance of our work for the Lord, even though we may not.
But let’s be clear. Even when Satan and his demons attack us, it can only occur by God’s permission. Christian believers are purchased by and washed in the blood of Jesus. They are filled and sealed by the Holy Spirit, which is God’s mark of ownership on us. We are God’s sacred property. When God allows Satan to afflict us, it is only under very restrictive conditions and it is always for our ultimate good.
Yet this can be so troubling for those who seek to do the Lord’s will. “If I’m doing the very thing that God wants me to do, then why does He allow the devil and circumstances to frustrate me. Whose side is God on, anyway?”
The answer is really quite simple. It is this: God is just as concerned about what He is doing in us as He is about what He is doing through us. We are more than a mere tool in the Lord’s hand. We are also a work of art that God is fashioning into the image of His Son. God is preparing us for eternity in heaven. And opposition and adversity are a major component of His training program for us. Even a tool has to be sharpened and strengthened. It must be prepared for the work God wants to do with it.
Think of King David. He was only a shepherd boy when God anointed him as King over Israel. Yet God used years of adversity and opposition to train and prepare David before He allowed him to step into the job. This was in complete contrast to David’s predecessor, King Saul. Saul’s meteoric rise to power left him completely ill-prepared for the temptations and pressures which accompanied the throne. Saul quickly crumbled. So don’t be distressed when you’re doing the perfect will of God, yet He allows opposition to come your way. God is working in you as well as through you.
REFLECTION
- Could there be other reasons for the opposition to your work for the Lord?
- Could it be that you’re not quite ready for the job, or that the timing is wrong?
- Let’s seek God’s guidance and submit to His will – which might include adversity.
