OPPORTUNITY AND OPPOSITION
This post focuses on how opposition and opportunity go hand in hand, and how God uses opposition to strengthen and shape us into the people who can handle the dream He has for our lives.
OPPOSITION AND OPPORTUNITY
AS FAITHFUL PARTNERS
Has anyone ever noticed that opportunity and opposition ALWAYS go hand in hand?
You decide to dive into a new pursuit and something immediately goes out of whack personally, or health-wise, or with your job, or your pet dies, or the people closest to you don’t approve of what you’re doing… you name it.
I am a firm believer in the idea that when we are on the most powerful path for our lives we will experience the most resistance, because we have an enemy who is threatened by the idea of each of us becoming all God has designed us to be.
I’ve witnessed many people derail opportunities in their lives by listening to negative comments from a “friend”, or caving to the excuse that they need to have everything in life settled in order to make progress (we live on earth and everything is never settled). It breaks my heart every time because I know what these people could’ve done had they possessed a different perspective on opposition.
In this journey of faith and growth, it's crucial to recognize that opposition isn't the enemy; it's a faithful companion, preparing us for the opportunities that lie ahead.
A piece of my experience with opportunity + opposition…
When I decided to switch my path away from pursuing musical theatre full time, and instead got a 9-5 job so that Micah and I could have the bandwidth to take the pathway of committing to business ownership, I was nervous but also SO excited.
I believed I was stepping into the journey that God had always had for me. That I finally found something I could pursue that would allow me to build a life that not only aligned with my highest values, but would also provide me with the greatest opportunity for positive impact on others.
As I committed to a new path, the amount of times people said to me things like,
“Oh no, don’t give up on your performing dreams!”
“I’d be careful is I were you.”
“Very few people succeed doing that.”
“Don’t get your hopes up.”
The list goes on and on. And I’m sure there were many other things said behind my back.
I know these things were said from places of love and wanting what is best for me, but I also know that no one but me lives my life. So even though my emotional brain was trying to convince me that maybe these people were right, it never made logical sense to put too much stock in what was being said. Especially because no one saying them was an expert in the new field I was pursuing.
If I had been deterred by the questioning/skepticism of the people in my life, who I love deeply and respect immensely by the way, I would have a completely different life than I do now, and not for the better.
“…because a great door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many who oppose me.” - 1 Corinthians 16:9
How Does God Use Opposition for our Good?
He refines our character
I believe that one of the greatest tests of character is how we handle opposition. It is part of God’s will for our lives; if everything was smooth sailing all the time, we’d be extremely mentally weak. This is why, in my experience, people who always choose comfort don’t develop mental toughness, and end up living a very difficult life. Whereas if we make the hard choices that stretch us, we end up creating a much easier life.
And by “easier” I don’t mean that opposition stops, I mean that learning how to handle it has become a developed skillset.
- He builds our ability to only need his approval, not that of anyone around us
If you’re going to make something of your life, and what that means is unique for each of us, not everyone is going to like it and we have to learn to not care. The goal of our existence is not to get approval from others, but from God and God alone.
I have struggled IMMENSELY with people-pleasing tendencies and I’ll write a full post about my ongoing journey to overcome that, but a truth that has helped move me towards freedom is in Proverbs…
“Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe” - Proverbs 29:25
He grows our faith
When we are pursuing something we know is in alignment with God’s plan for us and we are experiencing resistance, we have an opportunity to stretch our faith through staying consistent with what we can control and giving the rest up to Him. (Check out this post on surrender to go deeper on that topic.)
We learn to, as I heard Joyce Meyer say, “Let God be God in our lives.”
So often we remain in the wilderness for much longer than we need to because of our fear. If we would instead lean into the fact that God will always turn the seeds of our good efforts into fruit in His timing, we can walk in peace and confidence with a high level of positive expectancy.
“You have power over your mind – not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.” – Marcus Aurelius
How do we move forward regardless of Opposition?
Remember WHY you started in the first place.
As humans our tendency is to lean towards comfort, so unless we have a compelling reason to get our behinds off the couch, we probably won’t!
Be that cheesy person who keeps their goals vision in front of them. Pictures up on your fridge and walls, words of encouragement on your mirrors, whatever you need to remember the dream God put in your heart!
Surround yourself with people who are likeminded and will encourage you in your pursuits
It’s already hard enough to stay the course without having to fend off the negativity of an unsupportive circle. When you are in the company of people who are also in the pursuit of a dream, they stretch and encourage you in your own journey.
Reframe how you view Opposition
When we view opposition as a tool that sharpens us, we see that who we become through the pursuit of a dream is the true victory. Knowing that God is using what we’re experiencing to prune us and make us more of who we’re called to be creates an excitement around less than ideal circumstances and helps us press on.
Let’s bring this home with a recap…
Any great and worthwhile opportunity will bring with it opposition. If we are able to know this, expect it, and see it as a positive thing, we can pursue all God has for us with a clear and logical mind.
If we are continually shocked by opposition, or see it as some kind of sign that we’re meant to take an easier path, we will always be a pawn in our emotions’ hands and will never finish anything we start.
I would love to hear your testimonies about pressing into opposition and the fruit you’re seeing, or maybe haven’t seen yet, but know that you will see, on the other side.
I am in your corner!
