But none of these things move me; neither do I esteem my life dear to myself, if only I may finish my course with joy and the ministry which I have obtained from [which was entrusted to me by] the Lord Jesus, faithfully to attest to the good news (Gospel) of God’s grace (His unmerited favor, spiritual blessing, and mercy). – Acts 20:24, Amplified Bible (AMP)

In Acts 20:22-23, Paul tells the elders of the church at Ephesus that he is on his way to Jerusalem, and he knows that imprisonment and suffering await him. Yet, despite all of this, he forged ahead to his duty, allowing none of the trials and tribulations to come to deter him.

Each and every morning when we awake, we ought to ask God to supply us with this same attitude. No matter what duties for Christ we engage in each day, the potential for tribulation is there. Someone may threaten us physically, financially, or legally. Someone may question our integrity. Someone may challenge our competence, our job, or our faith. Our car might break down, our home might be damaged, or some other damage to property might delay us from our appointed rounds. Whatever form the tribulation takes, know this: it was meant to detract us from the work God has for us, and the quickest way to get back on track is to ask God to take control of the matter before the matter even arises.

No device of Satan can successfully stop us from pursuing God’s work unless we try to battle it with human emotion, wisdom, and power. If we don’t ask God to supply us with Paul’s attitude first thing in the morning, then we will most likely respond to tribulation with a reflex, human-nature reaction. Reactions rooted in human-nature are never ideal, and they have the potential of making us do something we will regret later. Even if they don’t cause us to do something we’ll regret, they will play right into Satan’s hands, causing us to be distracted from God’s work as anxiety, rather than God’s peace and purpose, floods our souls.

Unfortunately, you will often fail to react to tribulation with Paul’s attitude. When you fail, don’t beat yourself up. After all, you are only human. 🙂  Just use your failure as a reminder to bolster the habit of asking God, first thing in the morning, to prepare your heart and mind for the very possible trouble that could come your way today. If you sync your heart and mind with God’s early in the day, then you won’t be so surprised when persecution comes, nor will you be surprised when the Holy Spirit takes the lead in dealing with it.