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“These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also …” –Acts 17:6
Can I be honest with you? There are times when I am so comfortable being comfortable that I forget the calling on my life requires me to be in places and positions that do not always feel the best. My heart’s desire is that God’s will is not only done, but magnified in and through me. However, my flesh is not always willing to do what it takes to see that accomplished. We often want world-changing results but are unwilling to consistently take part in self-changing routines.
In Acts 16, Paul is beaten and imprisoned in Philippi. After his miraculous prison experience and the conversion of the Philippian jailer, he travels over 100 miles to Thessalonica. Imagine the bruising of Paul’s flesh as well as the swelling of his joints and ligaments. His body would have been in less than perfect condition, but he still moved forward because the gospel needed to be shared.
The gospel does not call us to be comfortable adherents, but it should compel us to be change agents.
In Acts 17, Paul and Silas preach the gospel. The results are so staggering, the Jews of the city declare they have “turned the world upside down.” On its surface, the criticism stated by these men could be perceived as negative—but how awesome would it be if those who stand in opposition to God’s movement would say something similar about our lives, churches, and convention. The gospel does not call us to be comfortable adherents, but it should compel us to be change agents.
As a perfectionist, I have a hard time functioning if everything is not the way I designed it in my mind. Even though I spend countless hours planning, preparing, and praying, I still struggle when things aren’t right. The truth is there will be moments in life when perfection is not the goal, but participation is. Regardless of how seasons of life may be, we still need to move forward according to God’s will.
Allow me to encourage you today: Keep moving forward. Let us be lockstep in minimizing what we don’t have and magnifying what we do have: the gospel of Jesus Christ. And when this gospel is shared with the sin-sick and dying, it should cause the enemy to exclaim, “These men are turning our world upside down!”
