RESISTING THE LORD’S WILL CAN CREATE A FRUSTRATING AND UNHAPPY LIFE

BIBLE PASSAGE:
We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic,
‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against 
the goads.’ 
(Acts 26:14)

MEDITATION:
Wouldn’t you agree that whenever the Lord wants to change us, 
it is for our benefit?
He loves us and as a result, He wants what is best for us.
He wants us to enjoy living out our lives here on earth, 
until we are called home to be with Him forever.

The question we should ask ourselves is, 
“Why do we resist, and even rebel at times, when the Lord is trying 
to mold us into a new person with new attitudes and new priorities?”
Paul was going in the wrong direction 
of living a life devoted to persecuting Christians.
However, when the Lord spoke to him, He reminded Paul of the futility 
and frustration of resisting the Lord and His influence on his life.

Paul never forgot this love the Lord had for him, and in Acts 
we see him sharing his life changing experience with King Agrippa.
He wasn’t concerned about how it might offend the King, 
and he didn’t allow Agrippa’s position of royalty to discourage him, 
he just shared how the Lord had changed him.

How did this change from the Lord affect Paul?
We know from the scriptures that it took him out of his comfort zone 
as began to live a life with a new and different direction.
He changed from a man trying to scare people away from the Lord,
to a passionate servant with a desire to see others know the Lord, 
as he now knew Him.

Instead of wielding power and prestige in his efforts 
to make life miserable for Christians, he became a man of humility 
with a desire to point others to the Lord.
His goal became one of adding to the number of Christians, 
instead of eradicating them. 
All of this was a result of 
(1) listening to the Lord, and (2) acting on what he heard.

After the dramatic change in Paul’s life, he still had issues at times.
Not only was he persecuted as a result of pointing others to the Lord, 
but he had other problems as well 
(he called one of them a ‘thorn in his flesh’).
Paul said he felt that he was under an attack 
from one of Satan’s messengers who had been sent to torment him.
“...I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me”. 
(2 Corinthians 12:8)

How did Paul handle it?
He went to the Lord and pleaded with Him to remove this ‘thorn’ from him.
Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said 
to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in 
weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, 
so that Christ’s power may rest on me. (2 Corinthians 12:8-9)

Not only did he listen to the Lord once again, but he acted on what he heard.
After the Lord responded to his plea, Paul made a conscious decision 
to turn perceived liabilities into assets.
When he realized he would experience the Lord’s power more in his weaknesses 
than in his strengths, Paul no longer fought to overcome his weaknesses, 
but chose to view them as positive assets, rather than negative liabilities. 
They would enhance his relationship and service to the Lord, 
rather than handicapping them.

ACTION:
What about you?
Has the Lord spoken to you, but you are still ‘kicking against the goads’?
We resist, and sometimes resent it, 
whenever anything or anybody wants to take us out of our comfort zone.

“IF” is a small word that can have a powerful impact on our lives.
On the positive side, “if” we will listen to the Lord and “if” we obey Him, 
we can experience the blessings He has for us and contribute to His ministry.
But on the negative side, “if this would just happen”, or 
“if this person would just do this”, 
can become thoughts that consume us in our struggle to find happiness.

When our focus is horizontal (on people and things) 
instead of vertical (on the Lord), we will find ourselves 
‘kicking against the goads’ in our efforts to find true happiness.
Once we realize that we cannot change many things, or most people, 
then we, like Paul, should to go to the Lord 
and rely on His ability to change us and our attitudes.
When we do, we can change ‘pity parties’ 
into reasons to celebrate the Lord’s power and goodness in our lives.

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, forgive me for resisting Your efforts to change me, for 
my benefit. Help me to stop resisting, resenting and rebelling against You 
and Your efforts to make me the best I can be for You, for Your kingdom, 
for myself, and for those around me. Teach me how to exchange selfishness, 
for humility and submission to Your Will. Show me how to appreciate my 
weaknesses as opportunities to experience Your power, which is sufficient 
for me at all times. Remind me of the happiness available in my relationship 
with You so that I will no longer be frustrated in my efforts to change 
others. Thank You Lord for the sufficiency Your power provides!”

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