Perched on my kitchen barstool, eyes fixed on my laptop screen, I opened a Word document and prepared to write.
But social media beckoned, Come see what your friends are doing.
Advertisements enticed, Come see what’s on sale.
Click bait urged, Stop and read this article.
An hour later, my Word doc was still blank.
Then, like Eve in the garden, I heard questioning voices. Did God actually say…?
Did God really call me to write? And worse, Is God even real? In my internet surfing, I’d encountered expressions like “The myth of Christianity” and “How Jesus became God,” casting doubt on the truth of the gospel and the divinity of Christ. I recognized the lies, but still, in a world where we often encounter animosity towards Christianity, it’s dangerous to take a stand for Jesus.
Then, a disparaging remark popped into my mind. A friend had implied my writing was boring and not quite ready for prime time. (It’s amazing how one negative comment rings louder than a dozen words of encouragement.) Perhaps, I thought, I’d better spare myself the embarrassment and keep silent. And besides, some of my relatives don’t share my faith. What will they think?
Does this sound familiar? You sense God is calling you to participate in the work of building his kingdom. He’s asking you to step out of your comfort zone and do something risky.
Maybe you want to get involved in a mission. Start a ministry. Build new relationships in your neighborhood and your workplace. Write a book or organize an event. You’ve begun the work and even experienced some success, but you can’t escape the opposition.
You’re in good company. Nehemiah experienced the same kind of opposition when he led the people to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. His enemies tried four tactics to stop his work. You can read Nehemiah 6 for the whole story.
Read more…..https://theglorioustable.com/2021/11/four-obstacles-to-growth/
