Have you ever felt a strong wind in your face slowing your progress or even pushing you backward as you try to walk by faith? Have you ever felt like every step you take is an uphill climb? Have you ever encountered stumbling blocks or obstacles you must avoid? Have you ever looked up ahead at a mountain blocking your way? Welcome to the Christian life! Living as a child of God is full of mercy, grace, joy, peace and love. It is extremely rewarding now and for eternity. But it is not always coasting downhill with the wind at your back.
Jesus teaches us what to expect when we follow Him. “God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sort of evil things against you because you are my followers. Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted in the same way.” (Matthew 5:11-12) Paul tells us how resistance from the enemy can actually benefit us. “We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.” (Romans 5:3-5)
My birthday is in March, so when I was a young boy sometimes I would get a kite as a present. I would meet my friends in a field and we would see who could get their kite to fly the highest. For a kite to fly three things are needed. First, it needs a tail to stabilize it and keep it upright. Second, it must be attached to a long, strong string to keep it from being blown away out of control and destroyed. Third, it needs to face a fairly strong wind to get and keep it aloft.
You are probably wondering what a kite has to do with anything. I think a kite might be a great analogy of my Christian life. Like the tail of a kite, the Holy Spirit within me stabilizes my life and keeps me upright. Like the string attached firmly to the kite, my personal relationship with my heavenly Father through Jesus Christ keeps me from going out of control and being destroyed. Finally, when the enemy sends his wind of resistance and I face it, instead of slowing me down or pushing me back it actually lifts me above his stumbling blocks and even above that mountain that was in my way.
When you are coasting along smoothly, with no opposition from the enemy, you are probably traveling the wrong road. It is when you are where God wants you to be and doing what He wants you to do that the enemy will come after you with everything he has. When that happens, be happy and glad because it is confirmation that you are a true follower of Christ and a child of God. Always remember that the Spirit within you is greater than the sprit that is in the world. (1 John 4:4).