I’ll bet you wouldn’t peg me as a Star Wars fan. True, I am more partial to the original trilogy and have had a harder time warming up to the newer offerings. But, if a Star Wars movie comes out I want to see it. I want to know what happens in that universe. I want to see how the story progresses. Let’s be honest here, as long as the Star Wars franchise is making money the story will never actually end. That’s okay with me. So, what is it that grabs me, and so many others, into spending a few dollars to watch this crowd of familiar and fresh faces flying through hyperspace? What catches us?

There’s a moment in The Last Jedi, the most recent Star Wars film (not spinoff) that I think says it all. Finn and Rose (Don’t know who they are? Ok, “The good guys”) are on a mission to defeat the First Order (The bad guys) and they need help. They meet a few kids working in a stable and earn their favor with the acknowledgement “We’re with the Resistance.” The kids faces light up and they are in. There is something in all of us that wants to be with the Resistance, we want to be with the good guys defeating evil. That’s why we stand in line and buy tickets.

In Star Wars being with the resistance is a good thing. But resistance isn’t always good, is it? Sometimes resistance is the thing holding you back from accomplishing what you know God has called you to. Sometimes resistance is the force opposing you rather than the force opposing evil. So how do you handle that kind of resistance? What do you do when the resistance is fighting against you?

The first tool to fight against resistance is to expect it. It’s going to happen, especially if you are moving forward in something important. Resistance may show up in the form of criticism. That is the easiest way to spot it, but it may also show up in the form of questions. Someone whose opinion you care about brings up concerns about a direction you are taking and it throws you. Sometimes we choose not to change because the people around us, the people that we trust, people that we love, are questioning if we are making the right move. They have certain expectations. We have expectations. When those expectations compete with God’s call, we experience resistance. We know God is calling us forward, but we hesitate because we understand that our change affects those close to us. We might even abandon our plan because we are concerned that they won’t like it.

Friend, in order to move forward in God’s purposes you have to expect that resistance is part of change. Don’t be blindsided by it. If it doesn’t come from outside, it will come from inside. Our own questions. Our own fears. Or maybe that habit or that attitude that sends you in the opposite direction. Resistance is part of the change process. If you want to move forward in God’s purpose for you then expect it and don’t let it derail you. Sometimes opposition is an indicator that you shouldn’t move ahead, but often it is simply the expected reaction to any change.

The next thing to do is to evaluate it. The popular adage “Consider the source” applies here. Set your emotions aside as much as you can and take a good hard look at all the opposition that seems to be holding you back. It could be the result of wrong choices, but not always. Often resistance is not a sign that you are doing something wrong, but clear evidence that you are doing something right. Is it internal resistance because of your own fears and insecurities? Or is it external resistance because of someone else’s fears and insecurities? Where is the resistance coming from? Is it just harder than you thought it would be to do what you know you are supposed to do? When you meet with opposition, understanding where it is coming from can help you to push past it. You can make adjustments to help you keep moving.

Did you know that electric currents also experience resistance? The harder it is for the current to pass through a conductor, like a wire, the more resistance there is. The electricity will pass more easily through certain conductors, but it doesn’t stop. Calculations are made based on the expected resistance in a conductor in order to determine the proper flow of electricity. Resistance is expected, evaluated and regulated as plans are made involving electrical currents. This is all a huge simplification, but the point is, expecting resistance is only the first step. When you evaluate the resistance you are experiencing you can make adjustments to minimaize it’s ability to slow you down. You don’t need to let resistance hold you back.

Lastly, endure opposition with grace. Sometimes the thing that God is using to shape your character is perseverance. That means that you will learn to keep moving against whatever opposition exists. The very thing that you want removed from your life may be the thing God has allowed so that He can add something to your life. He doesn’t make it easier for us, but He walks with us as we work through it and in that process we come to know Him in a deeper way that was not possible without the struggle. 

Any athlete knows that resistance helps to build strength and endurance. Experts even suggest lifting something as small as a water bottle or pushing against a wall in resistance training. Athletes add resistance in order to prepare them to achieve their fitness goals. They understand the need for it in order to help their physical bodies reach their potential. Here is the bottom line: No resistance, no growth.

Resistance increases our reliance on God’s strength. We endure with grace when we recognize that we can’t overcome without Him.  Paul encouraged the Ephesians to “Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.” (‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭6:10‬ ‭NLT) He also challenged the Corinthians to keep going and not give up: ‬‬“Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” (‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭15:58‬ ‭NIV)‬ Enduring with grace means that we stand firm in God’s power against whatever is trying to slow us down or keep us from God’s intended goal for our lives because we know that, in the end, it’s going to be worth it. ‬

So, Finn and Rose and those in the Star Wars universe have recognized the Resistance as a good thing. Have you? Resistance actually helps you to get where God wants you to go. For some reason we expect that if we are fulfilling Gods purposes, then the sailing will be smooth. Not so. When we are surprised by resistance and opposition it can cause us to want to quit. When we expect it then we will stay focused on the goal and will have already determined to push past it. We might even recognize resistance as a gift.

One definition of resistance is “the ability not to be affected by something adversely.” Don’t let resistance keep you from making the right choices. Press on. You were made for more and the only way up is through the resistance.  

Rest the resistance. Step into God’s purposes.

Key thought: Don’t let resistance hold you back from God’s purposes.

A Scripture to consider: “Friends, don’t get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back.” ‭‭Philippians‬ ‭3:12-14‬ ‭MSG‬‬

A YES challenge: Where are you experiencing opposition to moving forward in God’s purposes? Is it internal or external? Ask God to help you to refocus on the goal and strengthen you to keep moving forward.

Prayer: Dear Father, I have been lettting resistance hold me back in pursuit of Your purpose for me. I have allowed the questions and expectations of others, and even my own doubts, fears and attitudes, to slow me down or stop me in my progress toward being and doing what You have planned for me. Help me to keep moving forward. You are worth all the effort, no matter what it costs me. Amen.