From the archives of Oral Roberts
Controversy has followed me throughout my ministry. As a result, I’ve learned that any old dead fish can float downstream, but it takes a live one to swim upstream! Early on, I decided not to be an old dead fish, but a live one. I determined to stand against controversy. And the opposition made me stronger. Without opposition and God’s help to keep my calling in perspective with Jesus and the Word of God, I would have fallen by the wayside the first year of my ministry.
It’s not always easy to obey God. There is a cost to obedience. I learned from my opposers. They may have thought they were putting me down, but I was listening; and if they said something worthwhile, I took it and learned from it. In the end, I stood up again.
I have not allowed opposition to stop me. I determined to obey God, no matter what the cost. The Word says, To obey is better than sacrifice (I Samuel 15:22). Knowing my Bible, I knew that obeying God was far greater than any opposition that either satan or man could throw at me.
If your faith is not anchored in Jesus Christ, if you’ve not made a commitment of your faith, and if your obedience is not established… when the trial comes, it will pull you down. And like a dead fish, you’ll float downstream through life, rather than be alive to God’s plan for you. The only way to grow stronger is to be opposed, to have a powerful force to overcome. If you’re facing opposition, stand your ground and refuse to strike back. Obey God, and you can do what God has called you to do.
