Why Is It SO Hard?

It should be so simple, plan a program, and set a date and “they” will come. It works in the movies. (Field of Dreams: "Build it and they will come.") You get the inspiration and desire planted by God in your heart “to do something” to meet the needs of women in your corps and community. You battle over it with thoughts like, “I’m already too busy.” “Who will help me?” “We do not have the resources.” “I would rather not.” Then sweet surrender comes.

If God inspired it, one would think He would give instant success. Build it and they will come. So you “build it” and they don’t come. Everyone said they wanted to learn how to pray or study the Bible. You work with a group to design the content, time and place to meet. Every thing is bathed in prayer. What went wrong? How long are you supposed to preserver until you give up?

Who knows?

As I read the story of the opening of the Army’s work in France, I was struck by the revelation that they expected to find resistance and rejoiced in persecution because they felt they were beating down the gates of Hell. How different from my expectations. When I do something God has asked me to do, I expect and desire to be immediately received and welcomed. Discouragement comes so easy when I feel like others are not “getting it” about whatever I am trying to communicate or introduce. I get discouraged when naysayers respond even when they are nice naysayers who are not throwing rotten food or stones at me. Kate Booth expected resistance in ungodly France. Switzerland should have been another story. This country professed that their population was godly and tolerant. However, when Salvationists preached the Gospel, called the people to repentance and had a great response, the religious people got in the way. Kate Booth spent time in prison for preaching the Word of God in a place where it should have been easy. A people who were “tolerant” could not abide women preaching and praying. They could not abide passionate preaching of the Gospel and they persecuted the early Salvationists.

Win One Woman! Win Our World! It sounds like it should be so easy. So why is it so hard?

Who knows? Yet, this one thing I know, God has called us to do this. We must keep trying. He will grant us success. Pray now! Pray that God will prepare the way and help us to walk in it!