Outward
Act 9:22 But Saul was more filled with power, and he confounded the Jews living in Damascus, proving that this One is the Christ.
You know, it’s so easy to get caught up with concerns about who is saying what about whom, and just how we’re being perceived by those that “really matter”. As soon as there is a gathering of people into a fellowship, there is free communication of news with regard to individuals in that gathering and issues that impact the group as a whole. As acceptance into this fellowship increases in importance, as it becomes an identifying element in life, there can be great pressure to perform in a certain manner and somehow attempt to preserve one’s standing. This inward gaze can often become a very debilitating hindrance as the energy required to accomplish the true purpose of one’s calling gets used up on meaningless considerations. The gospel itself can lose its priority as conversations concerning the latest on this or that dominate the limited moments of the day.
This is what is so encouraging to me in this passage about Saul(Paul). He was a newcomer and there was much speculation about whether or not he was even legitimate. I’m sure he was avoided by many that were either afraid or looked down on him. It surely would have been easy to have been caught up in the social element and have lost focus on the mandate he’d been given by God. Instead of becoming weak in his determination and motivation to move forward with his mission, Paul actually became strengthened in the face of these verbal diversions and was able to pursue with renewed energy the course he’d been given by God. It was almost as if there was increased resolve that might not have been as great without the challenges to his motives and intentions. Released from the grip of inward fixation, Paul was able to become consumed instead with the only way he really had of proving his sincerity. He would bring to an end their questioning and gossip, but not by attempting to verbal defend and correct. By giving diligent effort towards the burning passion and desire of his heart, any challenge and any trial would be a means of gaining focus rather than losing it.
There will be an opportunity to be caught up in a weakening consideration today. Worry may try to come and divert all our attention towards the meaningless, but there is an empowering resource we’ve been given in the outward gaze to the place of God’s heart- the fields, ripe with harvest. By pressing on towards the incredible opportunity we’ve been given in the kingdom, we’ll be empowered by the Holy Spirit to do and say what we may never have even considered. The very elements that would try to get us down and defeat us can actually become fodder for the fire of motivation and encouragement that will enable us in excellent fulfillment of God’s purpose in our life. Like Paul we can actually know the joy of finishing our course in victory rather than getting caught on the sidelines of worrisome gossip. Ours will be the way of Paul and the way of joy today.
