There are days when it feels like everything is working against you. Not just one thing, everything.
Your finances tighten just when you’re trying to be generous. Your health begins to fail just when opportunities start appearing. Relationships become strained. Doors close. Your patience wears thin. Even your own emotions seem to betray you. You begin to wonder, “Why now?”
I’ve often thought that if the enemy can’t convince us to do evil, perhaps his next best strategy is simply to convince us to stop doing good. Think about it. If you were determined to encourage people, what better way to stop you than discouragement? If you wanted to serve others, what better weapon than exhaustion? If you wanted to give, what better obstacle than financial hardship? If you wanted to share your faith, what better tactic than fear of rejection? If you wanted to build something meaningful, what better distraction than endless problems demanding your attention?
Not every hardship is a direct attack from Satan. We live in a fallen world where sickness, disappointment, accidents, and brokenness are part of life. Sometimes the consequences of living in an imperfect world simply catch up with us. But regardless of where the hardship originates, the enemy is more than willing to use it.
The Apostle Paul repeatedly encountered opposition. Job endured unimaginable suffering. Joseph was betrayed. Nehemiah faced ridicule while rebuilding Jerusalem’s walls. Jesus Himself was tempted in the wilderness before beginning His public ministry. Notice the pattern. The opposition often came when purpose was involved.
Today I found myself apologizing to someone because severe chronic pain had worn my patience thinner than I ever expected. That isn’t who I strive to be, and I wasn’t proud of it. But afterward, I realized something. Pain doesn’t simply hurt our bodies. It tests our character.
It whispers that we should quit. It tells us that what we’re doing isn’t making a difference anyway. It convinces us that tomorrow would be easier if we simply stopped trying. Sometimes those whispers come through temptation. Sometimes they come through fear. Sometimes through discouragement. Sometimes through physical pain. Sometimes through waiting far longer than we believe we should have to wait.
The method changes. The objective remains the same. Stop planting seeds. Because every encouraging word you speak… Every act of kindness… Every lesson you teach… Every prayer you pray… Every article you write… Every person you forgive… Every quiet act of obedience… has the potential to become something far greater than you will ever see this side of heaven.
The enemy doesn’t know which seed God intends to grow. So he’ll gladly try to stop you from planting any of them. That’s why Scripture tells us repeatedly to persevere. Not because perseverance is easy. Because perseverance matters. Some of God’s greatest provisions don’t arrive before the struggle begins. They arrive while we’re walking through it.
Strength when we thought we had none. Peace that makes no sense. Unexpected opportunities. Encouragement from strangers. Open doors after countless closed ones. God doesn’t always remove the obstacle immediately. Sometimes He simply proves that His grace is sufficient to carry us beyond it.
If today feels like everything is pushing against you, don’t automatically assume you’re on the wrong path. Sometimes resistance is simply evidence that your work matters. Keep planting seeds. Keep serving. Keep loving. Keep trusting. The harvest belongs to God.
If you’ve ever felt like life’s obstacles are trying to rob you of your purpose, Finding Your Transformative Life explores how faith, perseverance, and personal responsibility work together to help us keep moving forward. Transformation isn’t found in a life without hardship. It’s found in learning to walk faithfully through hardship, trusting that God is still shaping both our character and our calling.
Troy P Zehnder 