Dealing With Opposition As You Pick-up Momentum

What I Can Expect When The Momentum Starts

Face-to-Face with Thirty-Thousand-Foot Oppositions, Barriers, and Setbacks – Part 4

Your haters will see your progress.
Did you think having haters, opposition, setbacks, and adversity was a normal thing? No. This only happens when you’ve decided to do what the ordinary people around you aren’t doing.
If you don’t want haters, don’t do anything.
If you don’t want to see setbacks, don’t attempt anything you’ve not done before.
If you don’t want opposition, stop opposing the norm.
If you don’t want adversity, don’t do anything that goes against the normal currents of life.

At last the wall was completed to half its height around the entire city, for the people had worked with enthusiasm. – bible.com/bible/116/NEH.4.6.NLT

I really like this part. After you overcome the first on-slot of your haters, you are making progress and gaining momentum. Momentum is what your thirty-thousand-foot prayer needs to get going and at the same time become difficult to stop. It’s like a train in motion. Once it’s in motion it’s hard to stop, but when it’s at rest, just getting on it’s way, it’s much easier to keep it from moving forward. The same is true for your thirty-thousand-foot prayer, your big dreams.
Are others able to see the progress you’re making towards your degree?
Are others able to see you making advancements in your career?
Are others able to see your spiritual growth?
Are others able to see your contributions to your society?
Are others able to see you establishing the right relationships?

When your haters see you becoming more and more uncommon they will be furious.

But when Sanballat and Tobiah and the Arabs, Ammonites, and Ashdodites heard that the work was going ahead and that the gaps in the wall of Jerusalem were being repaired, they were furious. They all made plans to come and fight against Jerusalem and throw us into confusion. – bible.com/bible/116/NEH.4.7-8.NLT

Nehemiah’s opposition saw his momentum building and were furious. Instead of focusing on their own work to be uncommon, they devised plans to come against Nehemiah’s efforts and attempt to bring confusion. What if this opposite used their energy for their own thirty-thousand-foot prayer? They would not have any time to get in Nehemiah’s ways. In the same way your opposition is making plans to come after you and get you off course. I need you prepared for what to do next.

You will have to protect your work.
A thirty-thousand-foot prayer done successfully means you’re praying at every turn. When you do what’s not normal, you have to be ready to protect yourself. Try standing for what’s right when the norm is what’s wrong, you’ll have to protect yourself. Try making moves towards getting your degree among people who don’t think that’s necessary, you’ll have to protect yourself. Try to live when all the signs say you’re going to die, you’ll have to protect yourself.

But we prayed to our God and guarded the city day and night to protect ourselves. – bible.com/bible/116/NEH.4.9.NLT

“But we prayed…”
Let me show you something specific here. When they prayed, look what God instructed them to do next. They guarded the city day and night to protect themselves. You see you must pray every step of the way. Being on guard and protecting themselves was the answer to their prayer regarding their opposition.

Think of this way. Nehemiah prayed and alerted God to his opposition being back at it, but this time more aggressively. So as a result of this prayer, God has them standing guard over the city day and night to protect themselves.

When someone is threatening your home, pray and protect your home.
When someone is threatening your job, pray and protect your job.
When someone is threatening your church, pray and protect your church.
When someone is threatening your community, pray and protect your community.
When someone is threatening your relationship, pray and protect your relationship.

Like Nehemiah, pray to God and stand guard day and night to protect your thirty-thousand-foot prayer.

Your work can be exhausting but you can advance.
If you think doing anything worthwhile isn’t tiring or exhausting, quit now. Remember, if it were easy (normal, natural) everyone would be doing it. Because it’s not easy (uncommon, extraordinary), that means not everyone is doing it. “Everything worthwhile is uphill.” – John C. Maxwell. That means everything that’s not worthwhile is downhill, natural, normal, and common.

Then the people of Judah began to complain, “The workers are getting tired, and there is so much rubble to be moved. We will never be able to build the wall by ourselves.” Meanwhile, our enemies were saying, “Before they know what’s happening, we will swoop down on them and kill them and end their work.” The Jews who lived near the enemy came and told us again and again, “They will come from all directions and attack us!” – bible.com/bible/116/NEH.4.10-12.NLT

Keep this in mind, that your work towards a thirty-thousand-foot prayer is big and requires a large effort without the threats of opposition. Opposition, setbacks, and adversity is extra. This is why prayer is a must. Under normal circumstances what you’re trying to accomplish is almost unbearable, but add adversity to the mix and it’s almost impossible. This is when you must realize that you need help that goes beyond human efforts. In order to do what’s impossible requires us to seek help from the One who makes the impossible, possible.
You will grow weary, in your pursuit of creating a better life.
You will grow weary, in your pursuit of obtaining the position you desire.
You will grow weary, in your pursuit of making the adjustments needed to become a better person.
You will grow weary, in your pursuit of being an agent of change in your community.
You will grow weary, in your pursuit of becoming the best spouse you can be.

There’s no doubt that big dreams take a lot of effort and will wear at you, but there is one thing that you can bank on, you have what it takes. You have all that you need to continue to advance your thirty-thousand-foot prayer.

All of this activity from your opposition occurred because you decided to be uncommon. In other words, you decided that normal wasn’t enough. As a result, your haters started making trouble. You had to adjust how you worked for the trouble that was made and it weighed heavily upon you. Now, you get to decide whether you’re going to give in, which is normal or will you continue this uphill march, which is uncommon, to achieve your thirty-thousand-foot prayer.

Question: Now that you’re making progress, is your opposition strong enough to get you to quit?

As always thanks for visiting NoLongerCommon.com. Don’t forget to share this message for me.

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