Acts 11 -- Oppose God?

The book of Acts is by far my favorite book of the Bible. Every chapter has so much to chew on. There is so much to be discovered about the ways God can work in the lives of those who follow. Chapter 10 is no exception. Still it is only a small phrase which caught my attention this morning. Peter in response to ministry with the Gentiles says, "Who was I to think that I could oppose God?"(v 17). This is a huge question, one I often fail with.

This question is truly a question that separates the head, heart and action. With all the study and reading I have done, I can clearly say being the opposition to God is not a good plan. Honestly that did not take much study to figure out. In my heart I do not want to oppose God, I only want to live a life which honors God. Yet with my actions I can be found working against what God would want. Right around 99% of my opposition is not a conscious choice. Nonetheless, I find myself on the wrong side of what God is doing in our world.

Peter's insight is particularly interesting when we consider Peter's past. Peter was often being challenged by Jesus because of looking at the world through human eyes alone. Now here Peter is reminding and teaching the others about moving and being with what God is doing, even if it is an affront to human ways. The "normal" functioning of our world is often so very different than the way God functions. The followers of Christ are to follow the lead of God more than the lead of humanity. Do not hear this as permission to ignore laws, that is just not wise. This is saying we should make sure we are not getting in the way of the work of God because we have limited vision.

So, who are we to think we can oppose God? We are the people who too often think we know better than God. We are the people who often follow our own lead and pay for it later. We are the people who need to remember God is God and we are not.