It's taken me a long time to be able to appreciate the value of Resistance.  I can't say that I like it. But I've learned to understand it's role as a marker pointing towards a course of progress. Among the many definitions of resistance, one refers to the act of opposition; being resisted by another person or condition in a manner which generates antagonism.  Resistance can be passive or active, it always tends to oppose or retard forward motion in one way or the other.

As a child, I was mesmerized by the adventures of 3 young men who walked through a blazing fire. The story takes place in the court of a famous Babylonian King, named Nebuchadnezzar who falls prey to a political ploy to manipulate his over-inflated ego.

 Some of his senior advisers engineered a plot to create a law in Babylon which would require every citizen to fall down and worship the king whenever they heard a particular combination of musical tunes. The aim of the plan was to entrap three young men whose talents they resented.

Predictably, these three men, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego resisted this false command.  This infraction was quickly reported to the king who summoned them into his presence; reminding them that refusal to cooperate would result in their being thrown into a burning fiery furnace.  The three replied by acknowledging that they understood the consequences, but would not bow down to a false god.  In fact, if the king chose to throw them into the furnace, they were prepared to go...believing that the God they served would deliver them.

Ahhh...this was NOT the politically correct answer!  Enraged, King Nebuchadnezzar ordered they be dumped into the fiery furnace as soon as the intensity of the heat was increased by a measure of 7!  The result was a blaze was so intense that it killed those who were charged with placing Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego into it.  And that was supposed to be the end of the upstart rebellion until, the king, who continued looking into the furnace saw an amazing sight.  Rubbing his eyes in amazement, he realised that although he had thrown 3 men into the flames, there were 4 men walking around!  Incredulous, he turned around to question his advisers who verified that yes, indeed... only 3 men had been thrown into the flames.

Well, the only way to solve the mystery was to ask the men to walk out, since they were obviously not about to be burned to a crisp.  And they did, with the exception of the fourth man who presumably remained within the flames. Upon examining the men, they found that they didn't even smell like smoke.  Extraordinary!

So, who was the fourth man and what can his presence teach us about the nature of truth and the ramifications of pursuing a purpose we believe to be right?  Well, for starters, never underestimate the aggression of opposing forces.  Be vigilant. We tend to assume that opposition is always external.  However, I've found that some of the most intransigent type of opposition is resident within the wrong ideas & motives that we mistakenly believe.  These can be major obstacles to our personal progress.

The kings advisers were motivated by jealousy. They felt that getting rid of their competition was the best way to solve the obstacles they perceived to be in the way of their personal promotion.  Jealousy occurs when someone is bitter and unhappy about someone else's preferred position, advantage or luck. It is an extremely destructive emotion and as another extraordinary  story  reveals, it is ultimately more destructive to the perpetrator than their victim.

These three men were friends of Daniel, another outstanding leader who also experienced the fury of jealous opposition.  This time, a decree and edict created under false pretext and misguided advise caused another leader of Babylon, Darius to order that Daniel, a leading court adviser, to be thrown into a den of lions because he refused to bow down to anyone but his God.  Although, in this case, King Darius realised that he had been tricked into submitting to this false policy, there was nothing that could be done...the law was the law. 

So, Daniel was thrust into the den presumably to feed the lions their dinner.  The distraught king, realising he had been deceived and unable to sleep went to the front of the lions' den early in morning and calling out to Daniel inquired if his God had been able to deliver him.  He was exceedingly glad to hear Daniels' voice confirming that he had indeed been delivered.  Once again...there was no harm done to Daniel.  But, those who had used a jealous ruse to try to kill him, were themselves devoured by the same lions they had intended to feed Daniel to. Jealousy is such a  potent entity, that those who trade in it risk being contaminated and destroyed with the same poison.

Resistance is not meant to destroy or harm us.  This can be hard to believe when you're being opposed simply because you excel at a given task or responsibility. Yet, it is when we react unwisely with anger or other negative emotions that the encounter is most likely to leave an unsightly imprint.  Resistance is intended to make us better and stronger to the direct degree to which it makes us uncomfortable.  The fact is this: anything really worth doing is going to be opposed in some fashion.  In fact, if there is no opposition, there is value in questioning if this is truly worth pursuing.  Mediocrity is rarely challenged because it poses no threat.

Let's return back to the mystery of the 4th man in the fire.  Was he also the one who shut the mouth of the lions for Daniel?  Here's what Daniel said in response to the kings' question, "My God has sent his angel and has shut the lions' mouth so that they have not hurt me; for as much as before Him, I am innocent, and also before thee O king, have I done no wrong."  Nebuchadnezzar observation was that the 4th man in the fire looked like "the Son of God."

Which brings us to the most extraordinary lesson hidden within the oppression of opposition and resistance.  While trials of this sort appear random and feel malicious and mean spirited, resistance is actually a guided experience in pure refinement.  One which does not leave you stranded in the midst of the flames or alone with deadly lions; rather Walking Through the Fire with God reveals a source of power which is always present but never fully identified until you've gone through difficult stuff...made unpopular decisions and committed to a course of action which you know is right. 

It is then, and only then, that your eyes are opened to recognize the fact that you've never been alone, God is with you. In fact, God waits to give you a personal welcome when you're thrown into the pit of flames or hungry pit bull-like lions.  He promises to never leave or forsake you. This reality is a succinct source of comfort and encouragement when they are experienced through the refining process of walking through the flames. 

So, if you find yourself being falsely opposed or find yourself dealing with inner resistance that threatens to throw you off course, remember that the process of building anything worthwhile is never easy.  The prize belongs to those who persist long enough to build the muscles of character which will be a necessary prerequisite to carry the weight of future glory with humility and understanding.

This is an entry in the What It Means Series.  Click the link to read other articles in this inspirational series.  Thank You. 

Copyright 2008  Audu Real Estate  All Rights Reserved

Complete story of the three young men & Daniel can be found in Daniel 3 & 6.

picture of man against the flames is courtesy of domincs' photostream on flickr

picture of flame is courtesy of Pablo González Rojas' photostream on flickr

picture of fire & water is courtesy of peasap's photostream on flickr