Ever since I was young, I've always been fascinated with the term "buoyancy." A quick check in online dictionaries would yield us a definition going along the lines of "a force that causes something to float [on liquid]" or even "the ability of a fluid to push back up something that is submerged to it."
I still am fascinated by this word.
Buoyancy gives us the impression of a rubber duck floating effortlessly on a tub filled with water, or a ship floating in the middle of the sea.
One thing that I noticed about buoyancy is that it requires something: opposition.
Buoyancy And Opposition
For an object to float on water, there has to be some sort of force opposing gravity. Without the opposing force, the object won't float and will sink. This brings me to what I want to say in this article:
Opposition can be very unpleasant, but it does have some nice effects to our lives if we allow it.
Would you want to be naturally buoyant amid the tests and trials of life?
Here are two reasons why you'll need – and appreciate – opposition in your life to help you become just that.
1.Opposition Will Push You To Persevere When What You're Doing Is Right
Just like what happened to the believers in the first church, opposition should push all the faithful to persevere in their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Consider how the apostles were "rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for [Jesus Christ's] name" (see Acts 5:41 emphasis mine)
We all need to realise the truth that opposition sharpens us and sifts us if we are in the faith. Consider Acts 14:21-22, where Paul and Barnabas encouraged the believers with it.
"And when they had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, 'We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.'"
2. Opposition Will Help Stop You If You're Wrong
Certain kinds of opposition also work the opposite way: stopping us from what we plan on doing, and then helping us to make the right decisions. Consider what Ecclesiastes 5:2 tells us:
"Do not be quick to speak with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God. For God is in heaven, and you are on the earth; therefore may your words be few."
Opposition, when defined as "a position contrary to yours," is helpful in making wise choices. When we foolishly push for our own position without confirming if we're right or wrong, we might do something we will regret, and worse, it might result in some bad thing that's irreversible. Consider Proverbs 12:15, which says:
"The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but he who listens to counsel is wise."
