Matthew 5:43-45, New International Version

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.”

As we live in this world and do the work of the Lord, there is something that we can be certain of—we will face opposition. Many times, this opposition will come in the form of discouragement. We may experience persecution because of our faith, or we may go through a situation in which we are not treated fairly. We may have financial difficulties, or we may simply not see the impact that our work is having.

Discouragement can take many forms, and when we are faced with situations like this, it can be easy to start to point the finger at other people. I know for myself I have struggled in this area and when I face opposition and discouragement, I am quick to judge and put the blame upon the people around me who I believe are the cause. My mind will start to think about how, if only that person had done this, or if this person would just see it my way, then it would have all worked out. But this is wrong thinking.

God tells us specifically that in this life we can expect to face trials. There are multiple passages in scripture that do not simply say that trials may come, but that they will come! It is inevitable that we will face resistance, persecution, and opposition. The question has never been whether we will face these things or not, but rather, how will we react to them when they come about. Not only has God told us very clearly that these situations would come, but He has also given us clear instructions in dealing with them.

First, we must remember that every situation we face, whether we have brought it upon ourselves because of our actions, or if we have truly been treated unjustly, is an opportunity to know ourselves better and grow. It is through trials and tribulations that the weaknesses and areas of struggle are brought to the surface of our lives. When they are we have an opportunity to hand those things over to the Lord for help.

Secondly, when we face these situations, it is an opportunity to show the love of Jesus to those who have persecuted us and to those around us. There is no one who was persecuted more and treated more unfairly than Jesus. Despite the deep love He has for each of us, including those who physically beat Him and hated Him, He loved each of us. He never compromised in His love for us, no matter how much pain we caused Him or how unfairly He was treated.

Third, we must always remember that God is in control, and because of that there are no coincidences. Everything that happens in our lives, though they may seem meaningless and even hopeless at the time, has a purpose and is part of the plan that He has for us. If we believe in Him and trust in Him, we will begin to see that He always places us exactly in the places that He needs us to be. Those places and plans are not to harm us, but to bring Him glory and good to us.

I do not know what trial or situation you may be going through today, but I believe that if you surrender your worries, your cares, and your heartache to Him you will find that not only will the Lord comfort you in the moment, but He will bring maturity as a result of your trial. One day, when you reflect back on all that has happened, you will see that if you had not gone through it or been where you are today, you could never have made it to the place He wanted you to be tomorrow.