Don’t fight it
So I concluded that if God is pleased to give them the same gift of the Holy Spirit that he gave us after they believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who am I to stand in the way of God?” Acts 11:17
I love this passage. It reminds me of what Gamaliel told the religious leaders in Acts 5 when they arrested Peter and John for preaching in Jesus’ name. He said, “But if it is of God, you cannot overthrow it, lest you even be found to fight against God.” What a powerful reminder: when the Holy Spirit is at work, it is crucial not to resist or criticize what we don’t understand. Who are we to stand in the way of God?
Peter had just witnessed something incredible, Gentiles receiving the Holy Spirit just like the Jewish believers had. When he returned to Jerusalem, he faced criticism from the other apostles. But after recounting all that had happened, how God had directed him, how the Holy Spirit had fallen, how hearts were changed and they understood it was truly the work of God.
It makes you think: how many times have we hesitated to accept something new because it didn’t come in the package we expected? How often have we questioned another ministry, a movement, or even someone else’s spiritual breakthrough because it didn’t look familiar?
So how do we know if something is truly of God or if it’s just human ambition or manipulation? First, ask. Go to your Heavenly Father and ask Him for clarity. If something is from Him, He will confirm it through His Word and peace in your spirit. If it’s not, He will give you wisdom to steer clear without becoming bitter or judgmental.
One thing I know for sure is that when I stay focused on the assignment God has given me, I don’t have the time or energy to nitpick what someone else is doing. God calls each of us uniquely, and if I stay faithful to what He’s asked of me, He will open the doors and work things together for good as needed to fulfill His purpose in my life and the lives of those around me. Sometimes that means connecting with others in ways I never expected.
Instead of letting suspicion or offense distract you, stay in step with what God is doing in and through you. Trust that if He wants to bring unity or collaboration, He will make it plain. Don’t let comparison or confusion rob you of the joy of your assignment.
Here is how you can get started today:
- Pray for clarity.
Ask God to show you where He is working, both in your life and around you. If something stirs questions in you, ask Him to confirm what’s from Him and what’s not. - Guard your focus.
Don’t waste energy comparing or critiquing others. Pour your time and prayers into what He’s placed in your hands. - Invite fresh vision.
Ask God to reignite your passion for what you’ve been called to. Pray: “Lord, open my eyes to the work You’re doing in me and through me today. Make my next steps clear.” - Stay humble and open.
Be willing to learn from how God works in others. He might be using someone else’s story to grow your own.
Today I want to encourage you to remember that God is always moving, often in ways you don’t expect or even see with your natural eyes. When you keep your heart open and your ears tuned to His voice, He’ll show you exactly where to walk and who to walk with. Don’t fall into the trap of second-guessing what God is doing in someone else’s life. Stay faithful to your purpose, trust His leadership, and be ready for divine appointments you didn’t see coming. If it’s from God, it won’t be stopped. When He’s in it, He’ll bring you into it at just the right time. If you do these things, you will never get in His way.
Today’s scripture reading: Acts 11:1-18
1 Now the apostles and brethren who were in Judea heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of God.
2 And when Peter came up to Jerusalem, those of the circumcision contended with him,
3 saying, “You went in to uncircumcised men and ate with them!”
4 But Peter explained it to them in order from the beginning, saying: 5 “I was in the city of Joppa praying; and in a trance I saw a vision, an object descending like a great sheet, let down from heaven by four corners; and it came to me.
6 When I observed it intently and considered, I saw four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air. 7 And I heard a voice saying to me, ‘Rise, Peter; kill and eat.’
8 But I said, ‘Not so, Lord! For nothing common or unclean has at any time entered my mouth.’
9 But the voice answered me again from heaven, ‘What God has cleansed you must not call common.’
10 Now this was done three times, and all were drawn up again into heaven.
11 At that very moment, three men stood before the house where I was, having been sent to me from Caesarea.
12 Then the Spirit told me to go with them, doubting nothing. Moreover these six brethren accompanied me, and we entered the man’s house.
13 And he told us how he had seen an angel standing in his house, who said to him, ‘Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon whose surname is Peter,
14 who will tell you words by which you and all your household will be saved.’
15 And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them, as upon us at the beginning.
16 Then I remembered the word of the Lord, how He said, ‘John indeed baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’
17 If therefore God gave them the same gift as He gave us when we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could withstand God?”
18 When they heard these things they became silent; and they glorified God, saying, “Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life.”
Journal:
- What is one area where you’ve been hesitant to accept how God might be working?
- Ask God to show you His heart in it and write down what you sense He is saying about your own next step.
The Daily Dose 