Paul, as he made his way back to Jerusalem, stopped at the port of Miletus to meet with the elders from Ephesus. In that meeting, he warned them of trials that would present themselves to the church from within and from without. He also shared with them some of the trials that would face him personally. Paul said, “And see, now I go bound in the spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing the things that will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that chains and tribulations await me. But none of these things move me…” (Acts 20:22-24).
We later know that in the following chapters that Paul would be falsely accused, imprisoned, assassination attempts were planned against his life and at one point he was almost torn to pieces by a Jewish mob. It is interesting to note that in the face of all this, Paul would say that “none of these things move me.” If we stood in the place of Paul knowing that we would face all this cruelty, would we rethink our Christianity? Maybe you would. Maybe you would not. All of us would like to think that we would stand strong like Paul so that our faith might bring hope to others.
Yet, how often is it true that we give up our faithfulness to God for things much less trying. How many people have stopped going to church because of the biting words of another Christian? How many people have settled for a second-rate worship service on TV because someone spoke an unkind word to them in the aisle. How many have given up gathering with the saints all together because others did not do things the way they wanted them done? Such things are small in the face of the trials Paul endured for the cause of the cross.
Paul faced chains and tribulations, yet he said that “none of these things move me.” “Move me” how and from what? “Move me” indicates the idea of being shaken inside, frustrated, or upset. He thus would not be “moved” away from accomplishing his mission in Christ Jesus. When one becomes a Christian, one affirms to themselves and others that their life-long focus will be their faithfulness to the cause of Christ and His word, the Bible. Yet so often many do not carry through with that commitment. They have been “moved” away from their original focus. They have paused or even stopped their faith. They have been “moved” by things far far less than Paul endured. I am convinced that there are more “Christians” sitting at home on Sunday morning than there are in worship because they have given up their faith. These are things that would boggle the mind of Paul and even God who loved us so much that He gave His Son to die upon the cross to redeem us from our sins.
I understand what it is like to face people who are unkind and judgmental. I know what it is like to be hurt. We all have faced injustices even from God’s own people. Not everyone who professes to be a Christian lives up to their full potential. Others simply do not care since they are more motivated to live a self-centered life than a Christ-filled life. However, none of these things should “move” us from the promises we have made to our God. God must become bigger in our eyes than the hurts that others cause us.
If you would like to renew your commitment to God and get things started right in this new year, why not let us know.
Roy Knight
