21/04/2023
REPOND TO YOUR ENEMIES WITH GOD!
When you do things with God, you are never going to be wrong, though it will be hard and difficult. God's ways are not easy, but they are always for our best. I remember complaining to one of my mothers that someone had stolen from me, but her response was quite quick and penegrating: "Maybe the person needed it more than you, so God allowed you to lose it." That was hard, but I came to realize after some time that God can allow enemies to have their way towards you for your good or His glory. You could spoil it all by the way you respond.
When God called Paul, He made it clear that Paul would suffer. The sufferings were brought upon him by other apostles and religious leaders, as well as others in the society who either hated him or were jealous of him. We do not see Paul engaging in any debate or combat with them. Instead:
▪︎Paul's faith in The Lord grew from those attacks and he depended on God more than ever. When he was delivered on one occasion, he confessed in a faith-strengthening way, "The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen (2 Tim. 4:18). If he lost courage and fought back, his faith would have failed him.
▪︎Paul used those experiences to teach us many things about how to respond to attacks and how to relate with enemies. If he did not respond with God, he would not have been able to teach us such things as: the need to give food to a hungry enemy, and the need to bless those who curse us.
▪︎Paul was focused on his assignment: preaching the gospel. He did not allow his enemies to distract him from his work. Sometimes, those who act in hatred towards you are simply being used by Satan to distract you from God's work. After all, the devil cannot be happy when you are doing what God wants you to do. Please, do not lose focus or lose your job because you were provoked by some enemy in your place of work. Be focused on your God-given assignment.
Beloved in The Lord, when faced with enemy issues, respond with God because He could have allowed the situation to strengthen you, to give you the opportunity to bring that enemy to deliverance, or to glorify Himself in one way or the other. Therefore, indeed, "Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will (2 Tim. 2:25-26). If, for some practical reasons, you cannot instruct your enemies, at least pray for them. Then, God will connect them with someone to instruct them, but you would have done your part through prayers and will surely be blessed as God is glorified; in Jesus' Name.