Scripture I'm Reflecting on: Acts 14:19-20
"Then some Jews arrived from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowds to their side. They stoned Paul and dragged him out of town, thinking he was dead. But as the believers gathered around him, he got up and went back into the town. The next day he left with Barnabas for Derbe."
Paul was preaching the good news. He was doing what God was asking him to do. What did he get in return? A beating. Stoned. Nearly killed. Paul's response? He got up, and went to another location, to preach the same good news that he was just nearly killed for preaching.
Reflection:
Stop and think about how amazing this story is. Paul was nearly killed. . .solely for doing what God had asked him to do. Did his faith waiver? Did he say "forget this"? Did he even question what was happening? Nope nope and nope. Paul got up and kept going, and his faith never waivered.
Stop and think about the times in your life where you have questioned God, or even had thoughts about your faith. When I think about the times in my life, they are quite embarassing when compared to what Paul went through. Paul was nearly killed and never once wondered if God was with him. Sadly, I've found myself wonder why God rewarded someone with a better grade that I thought I was more diligent than. I've found myself question God numerous times when I've heard the "Youre a nice guy but . . ." or "Its just not the right time" lines from a girl I'm interested. I've seen my faith waiver at times when I thought my prayers weren't being answered. Maybe I never said these things outloud, but I've thought them. Most of the time these thoughts for us are just brief thoughts, and they happen in an instance. But that doesn't change the fact we should try to fight against them, and remembering this story about Paul is a great way to do so.
The bottom line is, we can't let little obstacles slow us down, or lessen our faith. There are no promises in the Bible that being a Christian comes with an easy life. There are no promises that we will get everything we pray for. But we do know God is always looking out for us. He is always providing for us. And He is always providing us with the tools to live a joyous fulfilled life.
Final Thought:
I whole-heartedly believe, like I'm sure we all believe, in Jesus Christ and the gift he gave us by giving His life on the cross. I have never been beaten up for this belief. I have never been threatened because of this belief. I've honestly never faced anything negative for this belief. Sure, many os us will face people who will laugh at our beliefs, judge us because of our beliefs, maybe even deny us opportunities based on our beliefs. But very few of us (hopefully none of us) will ever face what Paul and many other Church leaders faced because of their belief. Be thankful for this. Be inspired by this. And thank God everyday for the opportunity to follow Him free from many of the obstacles that those before us had to battle through.
No comments:
Post a Comment