The Benefits of Opposition
Excerpts from How to Overcome Oppositions by Uyoyou C. Charles-Iyoha
The red sea constituted a formidable opposition to the progress and
survival of the Israelis. Apparently, they were hedged in with no escape
route in sight. Bounded by the wilderness, the red sea and the Egyptians in hot
pursuit led by Pharaoh and his chariots, they were afraid and completely
hopeless. In that moment of despair and seeming hopelessness, they turned to
God and the God to whom all power belongs (Psalm 62 verses 11 to 12) demonstrated that everything He created obeys Him.
The sea gave way for the Israelis to walk on dry ground while Pharaoh and his
chariots drowned. God demonstrated His great power, the faith of the Israelis
was strengthened and they celebrated dancing, singing, clapping and praising
God.
If the devil knew that the death of Jesus Christ would culminate in the
salvation of many human beings, he would not have allowed Jesus Christ to be
crucified. If the devil knew that each opposition and attack on the Apostle
Paul would translate into a fortified Church and the planting of another Church
by the same Paul in another city, he would have let Paul be and used the weapon
of complacency. But persecution of the Apostles and the early Church led to the
sporadic growth of the Church beyond the walls of Jerusalem to other parts of
Asia and Europe. Persecution and the numerous deliverance wrought by God
further strengthened the faith of members of the early Church. They were also
platforms for God to demonstrate His power and love for His people.
Therefore, stop giving excuses like Mr. Lazy. In spite of the lions and
bears in the pasture land, David still took out the family flock to graze.
Rather than run away from the lions and bears, he asked God for help and
received strategies for killing lions and bears. This was what gave him the
courage to confront Goliath when Goliath humiliated the armies of Israel. If
you are in the habit of giving excuses or running away from challenges, the
devil will act on that and always strew your paths with challenges to
intimidate and oppose you from becoming who God created you to be. Learn to and
actually confront to intimidate and eliminate barriers, barricades and opposition
in your path to purpose, wealth, fame and honor. Every challenge geared at
opposition like every uninhabitable environment is meant to be conquered. The
present habitable environment we enjoy today was conquered by our forefathers
and progressively it gets better and could become best if we put in the
required efforts to remove the challenges our forefathers did not have the tech
or know how to remove.
Beloved, opposition can sometimes be God’s protective mechanisms to keep
you safe, to train you and give you unrivaled expertise and experience but
most often to destabilize the enemy and bring his evil schemes to naught
especially when the platform of opposition turns out to be his death knell as
in the case of the crucifixion Jesus Christ (1st Corinthians Chapter
2 verses 1 to 16); the sale of Joseph into slavery (his brothers eventually
prostrated severally to him); the fierce opposition to the preaching of the
gospel through very determined persecution of the early church culminated in
the spread of the gospel beyond Jerusalem and Judah to Israel, parts of Europe
and Asia.
God’s protective mechanism through opposition shields you from the enemy
through the opposition by veiling God’s plans and purposes for your life. It is
also a time to be tactful – do not reveal God’s specific word, plans and
purposes for your life to the opposition – speak the promises of God in the
Scriptures. Let the opposition think you are mad but Scripture will eventually
come to pass as the Word of God does not return to Him void (Isaiah Chapter 54
verses 10 to 13). You can read the books of Esther and Nehemiah as well as the
gospels to learn about being tactful. Jesus Christ cautioned His disciples not
to reveal His identity to anyone after Peter revealed that Jesus was the Christ
(Matthew Chapter 16 verses 13 to 20). Also, Jesus Christ cautioned the three
disciples who were with Him at the Transfiguration not to mention what
transpired to anyone (Proverbs Chapters 13 verses 2 to 3; 12 verse 14; Matthew Chapter 17 verses 1 to 9, Mark
Chapter 9 verses 1 to 9, Luke Chapter 9
verses 28 to 36). He also cautioned some people He healed to keep it to their
chest but they broadcast the news (Matthew Chapter 9 verses 27 to 31, Luke
Chapter 5 verses 12 to 15).
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