Constrained and Afflicted

And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that they Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me.

Acts 20:22-23

Following the Lord is a gloriously spectacular adventure. To surrender one’s self to the will of God is to ensure a ride like no other. God will work in you and through you to bring about His will. He will allow you to see and experience things that others will never know a thing about. However, it is a risky ride with no guarantee of safety.

I often hear people say things like, “There is no place safer than in the center of God’s will.” Or, “If God is leading you to go then He will keep you safe.” No such promise is ever made in Scripture. Additionally, when you consider that every single disciple was martyred for the faith except John who got off easy by being exiled to the island of Patmos, I am not sure how we came to such a conclusion.

Paul, when speaking with the Ephesian elders tells them, “I don’t know what is going to happen to me, I only know that the Spirit has soundly testified to me that I will end up afflicted and in prison.” Why would anyone continue with any pursuit with such a promised ending? One reason, Paul had put the glory of God ahead of his own comfort. Paul knew what was important for the Kingdom was for him to continue on, regardless of the risk. Paul knew in the end he wanted to be able to stand before God and say, “I completely fulfilled your will for my life.” Paul had learned what it meant to genuinely live a life of purpose.

If we desire to make an impact for the Kingdom of God in our day, we must resolve like Paul to put the Lord’s agenda ahead of our own. Does this mean prison and affliction await us? Possibly. But more likely, we will be asked to lay aside our own agendas and plans and pursue God’s. We will be asked to endure some discomfort or challenge. We will be asked to step out in faith knowing that even if things don’t turn out for the good, we still have honored God with our obedience. It is time for us to move past our sensational, prosperity driven American Christianity and to recklessly abandon ourselves to the Lord. Let us move forward, as did Paul, constrained by the Holy Spirit.