Who Can Be Against Us?

As we go through live, we will face opposition from time to time. Opposition may come as a rejection for a job or college admission. It may come as we are not selected for a team that we tried to join. But most frequently, opposition comes from people we know or casual acquaintances. Disagreements arise as our opinions and expectations do not match. Some people may even vehemently oppose our ideas and values. How do we handle such opposition?

Romans 8:31-32 says, “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things.” It is obvious that God is on our side and wants the best for us. He did not withhold His own Son and He will not withhold any good thing from us. God gives us everything we need, even in the face of opposition. We can trust Him even in the difficult situations.

Speak A Different Language

I have been to many countries and always have difficulty communicating with the local residents. This issue doesn’t surprise me because we speak different languages, plus I am not the best communicator even in my mother tongue of English. Therefore, I try to get by with pointing and hand gestures. However, I can not communicate or understand nuances and deeper thoughts without a reliable translator.

Romans 8:26-27 says, “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” We unable to think and understand spiritual thoughts on our own. Therefore, God gives His Holy Spirit to guide His children in our thoughts and prayers and to intercede for us before the Father.

Weariness

We have many reasons to grow weary in these days. We all are involved in many activities and a fast-paced lifestyle that can suck the energy right out of us. Sometimes, we are revived when we see the benefits of the good things that we try to do. But we don’t always see the effects of our good efforts.

Galatians 6:9-10 says, “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.” We may be tempted to give up when we are doing good works because we are not seeing results from our efforts. But God promises that we will reap the benefits of our efforts, although these rewards may not be immediately evident. So we should remain steadfast in our efforts to bless people.

Establishing Value

If you go into a jewelery store looking for a ring, the proprietor will tell you the value of each ring. But how can you know for sure without seeking to establish the value independently. We do a similar thing when we try to establish our personal value to our friends or family. We gather many possessions, work to achieve many accomplishments, and seek relative fame among people that are respected.

In Luke 12:6-7 Jesus says, “Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.” We make a huge mistake when we seek to establish our value through gathering possessions, religious activity, or searching for fame. We are already of great value to God as His beloved children.

No Pain, No Gain

Coaches used to tell us, “no pain, no gain”. They meant that unless we endured the suffering of practices, we wouldn’t reap the rewards come gametime. Muscles are built through repeated use under stress. Maturity comes through right reactions to the problems of life, thus building character into our lives.

Romans 5:3-5 says, “More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit wo has been given to us.” We can rejoice while suffering because it produces good things in us like endurance, character, and hope. Suffering is also one way that God reveals His love to us through the Holy Spirit working in our lives.