120: Winning Against All Odds

Hello and welcome to The Hope Podcast. I’m Aneel Aranha. Today we are going to talk about how some people don’t want us to succeed, but we shouldn’t let that discourage or stop us.

Some people don't want us to succeed. It's a fact of life. They will try to take us down at every turn, and although they will disguise their motives — often with some sanctimonious twaddle — the reason is usually pure jealousy or hatred. 

However, jealousy and hatred aren't always why people don't want us to succeed. Sometimes it is because they are hurt, and in their desire to see us punished for it, they want us to fail. They will go to great lengths to contribute to this, slandering us before all and sundry and doing everything else in their power to ensure we don't succeed.

Another reason is fear. The people closest to us, like family and friends, may try their best to stop us from doing the things we want to do, like starting a business, pursuing a new career, or following a dream because they are afraid. While they might be afraid that we will fail, they may also be afraid that we might succeed and become secondary in their lives. The question is, what do we do? 

First, take any resistance straight to God in prayer. God may be using it to make us pause for introspection and work on something in our lives that needs fixing. He may also want to clarify his plans for our lives, including course correction, if needed. 

Then, once we have our bearings, we fix our eyes on our goal and move toward it with single-minded dedication, unmindful of what anyone may do to stop us. People have no control over our destiny; only God does. And what he has destined, nothing and nobody can stop. At best, they can delay it, but even this serves a purpose because it makes us more resilient. 

Resilience is the ability to withstand or recover quickly from difficult conditions. The most resilient people I have come across are those who have constantly faced opposition but have not been daunted by anything that came their way. Many begin to love the challenge because the greater the challenge, the sweeter the victory. 

Once we have succeeded, let us resist the temptation to retaliate and be gracious instead. Let us not crow over our triumphs either, because whatever we may achieve is because of the provision of God. This is *always* available to those who trust in him and seek his will for their lives. As David (who had people try to *kill* him most of his adult life) once said: Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever (Psalms 125:1). 
 
May the Spirit be with you.