God for Us

If God is for us,
who can be against us?

Romans 8:31b

Here is an absolute truth: in this world you will have enemies. The Christian community particularly finds it uncomfortable to recognize certain personalities as “enemies.” After all, we are supposed to love our enemies! Now, I’m not saying that all difficult personalities are “enemies”, however, there will be people in our lives who are our “enemies” and for our own spiritual well being we would do best to recognize them as such.

At one point in our ministry my husband and I experienced a very difficult personality. This individual caused rifts within our Christian community by all manner of disinformation, gossip and slander. We prayed, we talked with wiser Jesus followers, we searched our hearts and we sought reconciliation yet nothing changed the assaults being lobbed. We had an “enemy.”

During this time of seeking God’s guidance we were continually reminded of the numerous times Jesus was verbally assaulted during his ministry. Jesus never held back his opinion on the actions of those doing the undermining, but, he also didn’t waste time trying to get them to like him. They were against him and he let them go because God was for him.

We discovered in a new way through our “enemy” what it meant to have God for us. Having done everything we are called to do as Jesus followers, we were able to claim the truth that our “enemy” was miniscule compared to the Person shadowing us. Despite the gossip, slander and innuendos we had nothing to fear—God was for us.

Father, thank you for being
for me and showing me through your Son, Jesus Christ
how to stand strong in your Presence.
With you for me, I have nothing to fear.
Amen.