When Difficulties Direct

Throughout the book of Acts we have seen the progression of the gospel. We are reminded once again of Jesus’ Great Commission. “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8). We have seen the gospel proclaimed in Jerusalem, in Judea, and Samaria. Now we come to Acts 13 and we see the gospel launched “to the ends of the earth.”

Paul and Barnabas have been preaching the gospel. The Jewish people that they were speaking to were responding with great interest. Unfortunately, this upset the leaders of the people. The Bible says, “But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began to contradict what was spoken by Paul, reviling him” (Acts 13:45). Paul and Barnabas could have allowed this to discourage them. They could have looked at the situation and quit. Instead, they simply say, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken first to you. Since you thrust it aside and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles” (Acts 13:46). The Gentile response is also worth noting. We are told, “And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed” (Acts 13:48).

This story has two things for us that are worthy of note. First, we are reminded once again that God has a heart for the nations. God’s desire is that all people will come to a saving knowledge of Him. As believers, we are to take part in this gospel advance. Second, it was after a difficult situation occurred that the gospel was preached to the Gentiles. We must be careful not to view every challenge as a negative. Sometimes God uses these difficulties to direct our path and accomplish His will. Walk in faith and expectation…even in the difficult times.

THE CHOICE IS YOURS

One of the greatest frustrations that we can know is the sense that we are being pulled in two directions at one time. As the parent of two children I know this feeling well. For instance, this Christmas both of my children had choir concerts on the same day, at the same time, but at two different schools. Of course, I want to be a good parent and support both, but to date I have not figured out how to be in two places at one time.

While the frustration of being pulled between two things is sure to come, there is one area in our life where such a tension should not exist. We should never be torn between two masters. Jesus said, “No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money” (Luke 16:13). We must make a decisive decision as to who or what will be the master of our life.

One will find it impossible to whole-heartedly serve God and anything else. Making a decisive decision upfront will answer a number of questions before they are ever asked. If we are faced with a compromise that will allow us to make more money, but we have already determined to serve God whole-heartedly, then our decision has been made. We simply cannot compromise our integrity for the sake of money. We have already pledged to do things God’s way. The list of possible compromises could be endless, but there is one simple answer, “no.”

Pick your master carefully. A master can be a blessing or a tyrant. One thing we know about serving God is that it is His intention to bless us. This does not mean that life will always be easy or that we will never struggle. It does mean that we can live each day with intention and purpose.