There’s an ugly, little secret no one ever told me about doing God’s will. But I found out about it anyway, and you probably have, too. Still, it’s not something we often talk about – even though we probably should. So, let’s just get it out on the table and talk about it right now, okay?
I want to do God’s will. You want to do God’s will. And that’s good, right?
So then, why is doing God’s will so difficult at times?
The answer to that question, and the ugly, little secret we both know, is found in 1 Corinthians 16:9. See it right there in my Bible?
It says, “There is a wide-open door for a great work here, although many oppose me” (1 Cor. 16:9 NLT).
In this passage, Paul bravely professes what we often prefer to keep secret:
Doing God’s will is difficult because it always invites and involves opposition. And none of us want to think about — much less talk about — that, do we?
So when we read a hard-to-hear passage like 1 Corinthians 16:9, we subconsciously stick our fingers in our ears and do the la-la-la-I-can’t-hear-you routine.
But the fact remains that doing God’s will has always been difficult, and it has always involved opposition.
It’s what Abel experienced from Cain.
It’s what David experienced from Saul.
It’s what Jeremiah and the prophets experienced from their own people.
It’s what Jesus experienced from the angry mob.
From the first pages of Genesis to the final chapters of Revelation, the overwhelming evidence clearly reveals that:
Even when God gives us a wide-open door.
Even when God calls us to a great work.
Even then, we will experience opposition.
Today is a new day, and wide-open doors are before you to do great works for God. You will have the blessing of sharing your faith, of standing up for the truth, and of being a light in the darkness. But these same blessed opportunities will also bring opposition.
So don’t stick your fingers in your ears. And don’t stick your head in the sand either. Instead, view opposition to God’s will for what it really is: proof indeed that you really are in God’s will. And in really good company, too.