8 But I will stay on at Ephesus until Pentecost, 9 because a great door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many who oppose me.
Great opportunities often come with great opposition. This seems so foreign to our ears. We usually associate effectiveness with a lack of difficulties. We avoid difficulties. If we have the choice of difficulty or smooth sailing we almost always choose smooth sailing. We often interpret difficulty as a misstep or the natural consequence of doing the wrong thing at the wrong time. Paul, on the other hand, saw the opposition as evidence that he was on the right track. He saw his opposition as a sign that he was preaching the full Gospel. Remember, the Gospel is offensive. It calls people to recognize that they are accountable to someone greater than themselves. There is a price to be paid. That does not mean that we must present the Gospel in an offensive way. Screaming and yelling that someone is going to end up in Hell is not necessarily the best approach. We are to be examples of love. That is how people will know we are Jesus-followers. We can demonstrate unconditional love. So remember, the next time you get opposition, it might just be that you are exactly where God wants you to be. The opposition might just be the ticket you need to become the person God wants you to be. God can use the opposition to work on our character and commitment.
The Arnold Journey 