Opposition Opportunity Obedience

Opposition, opportunity and obedience; every last one of them is a huge part of leadership and a large part of life. You won’t move far without accepting or giving opportunity. If you are doing anything that has any substance or will have any lasting impact then you will certainly face opposition and in some instances, you’ll be faced with much opposition. Both opposition and opportunity comes in seasons but obedience, well obedience is required, let’s say, both in season and out of season. Be careful, opportunity and opposition may tempt one to be disobedient.

In the last six months I’ve had more opportunities placed before me than I’ve ever had in my life. I’ve had the opportunity to relocate a number of different times. Just in the last six months I’ve had opportunities not to just relocate to places that many (at times including myself) would define as a much better location but opportunities to make more money. I honestly don’t know anybody who doesn’t want to make more money or live in a thriving city, more specifically for young African American families. I’ve had more opportunities then I’ve ever had to add a “more prestigious title” to my letter head, business cards and voicemail. I’ve had a ton (compared to times past) of good and maybe even great opportunities in just the last six months but what I’ve grown to learn is this; every good and/or great opportunity does not mean that it’s a God opportunity.

This is where the post may become just a tad bit weird but my hope is the peculiar people who read this post will understand. Over the last six months not only has a ton of opportunity come my way but twice as much opposition (if you were to compare opposition and opportunity) has been places before me. There is nobody that has ever successfully climbed a mountain by simply finding their footing on the smooth places. It is always the rough places that may not necessarily get a mountain climber to the top but I’d be willing to bet the farm that rough places are where mountain climbers have found their footing to get out of the valley. Resistance will strengthen you but it may break you down first. Over the last few months the resistance has been much and the rough places have been many. The people that I’ve tried to help the most have dogged me out, talked about me, lied on me and have made many attempts to crucify my character. Some of the political powers that be have led the charge to scrutinize my sincerity with the hopes of communicating a downfall. Some of those who I serve have taken my kindness for a weakness and have carried out plans to exploit and take advantage of a perceived weakness. Some who I try to lead have decided not only not to follow but to develop plans for division and sow seeds of discord. There has been opposition after opposition and often times multiple oppositions all at the same time. However if you are going to lead, as a matter of fact if you are going live then you should expect opposition. Opposition comes with the territory!

You may ask why if I’m getting all of this opposition did I not take at least one of those opportunities. Well, I did not take any of those opportunities and I’m continuing to face all types of opposition out of obedience. My life is not my own. I’ve been bought with a price. I’m a servant of the King. I’m a slave to my Master. You may not like that verbiage but that’s my reality. I’m not in the Adam’s Family, I don get to doc what I want to do, say what I want to say, go where I want to go, play how I want to play and I surely don’t get to live how I want to live. I’m a child of God and God requires obedience. I’ve heard it said on numerous occasions that partial obedience is whole disobedience. I could move right now, hold a more prestigious position, make more money and live in a city that in most aspects is doing much better and that move would allow me to do some good and even great things but it would absolutely prevent me from doing the things that God requires of me and where God is currently requiring me to be. Not a week goes by that somebody isn’t asking me what I’m still doing in Rockford. I have a great job and I get to do great work but that’s not necessarily why I’m still here, my wife loves what she does but that is not why we are still here, my daughter’s attend an excellent school, still that’s not the reason in which we are still here; we are a par of what I believe is a great church, I have the privilege of serving under and learning from a gifted and disciplined pastor but that is not the reason that I and my family still reside and serve in Rockford. We are here out of obedience. Over the last six months I could of chased opportunity and fled from opposition but either one or both would of been an act of disobedience and regardless of how it would have looked on paper, regardless of how my bank account may have grown, regardless of if my status would of went up I still would have been operating in disobedience. God blesses obedience and may we forever keep uncompromising obedience at the forefront of our hearts and minds.