Opposition or Opportunity (Part 1)

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And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me--And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation works patience; 2 Corinthians 12:9 Romana 5:3 KJV

A compilation April 2014

These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.—John 16:33

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As we faithfully carry out our mission of reaching the world with the message, we can expect to encounter some form of opposition along the way from time to time. Opposition and adversity are a fact of life in our active service for the Lord.

As Christians, we’re called to learn to take adversity in stride and be prepared to face the challenges it poses with an attitude of faith. This will empower us to be spiritually, mentally, and emotionally prepared to not only weather the storms, but to expect the Lord to turn even seemingly negative circumstances to our good and into opportunities to further His work. We can brave the winds of adversity with the unwavering confidence that Jesus has a purpose and plan in every difficulty that enters our lives.

Asking the Lord for His perspective on the challenges that we face, and for His guidance as to how to respond proportionately and to take action proactively enables us to take adversity and opposition in stride and channel our energy and efforts toward the solutions and the victories.

When we face adversity, it doesn’t necessarily mean that we’ve done something wrong or made a mistake. If we neglect to operate in prayer and counsel with others the Lord places in our lives as godly counselors, and if we fail to stay in tune with the Lord, then it could result in unwise and unprayerful decisions; we might make some mistakes and there would be lessons to be learned. But that is not always the cause of adversity. If we are prayerfully committing our lives and work to the Lord and we face opposition or confrontation from some quarter, then we are to “count it all joy when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”1

Regardless of the circumstances, by faith our expectations should be that we will go through the difficulty and come out the better for the experience in one way or another—either strengthened, or wiser, or able to give a good witness, or to continue advancing despite the crisis. We can embrace the challenges that come our way and welcome the opportunities to ride the wave of adversity and come through strengthened and rise above the difficulties.—Maria Fontaine

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Every great man or woman of faith, and even idealists who were not necessarily religious, faced opposition and adversity in many forms and to varying degrees throughout their lifetimes. The testament of their lives is often one of struggling through adversity, refusing to be swayed by opposition, and forging ahead to fulfill their calling and mission. They had a purpose, and they knew that the fulfillment of their purpose would not be handed to them on a silver platter. Opposition presented itself in many forms: political opposition, opposition from those protecting their financial interests, opposition from the religious powers of their day, opposition from friends and family, opposition from a hostile media, opposition from educational institutions.

1 James 1:2–4 ESV.







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Keys707

Keys707

Ocean View, Hawaii, USA

Greetings dear faithful and true, I'm a prophet of the wind... the spirit of a man on the mountain! I've been praying for a lovely woman to fill the need by my side, and a grandson I raised from birth turning 21 06/16 already left the nest, Jason. My [read more]

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