S: “So Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said…”
O: Paul had been in the city for some time. He had walked around and taken notice of the people and their ways. We are told earlier that his spirit was provoked by the idols that the people worshiped and that he had been teaching in the synagogue. Upon hearing his teaching, he was given an invitation to teach the people whose idols had stirred him so. As he stood up, there where many things he could say and many ways he could react. Paul demonstrated some restraint and went after their false idols by taking what he had observed and applying it to God’s word.
A: What would I say? If someone was writing about my life and they said “Jason stood in the midst of _____and said ____.” How would I fill in the blanks? Oh sure, it is easy for me to watch what goes on around me, formulate opinions and get upset at the behaviors of others. I can become quite cynical and judgmental to the actions of others. Often, I can picture what I would say and how I would say it. But then comes the moment of truth and I have the opportunity to speak about it. There are two typical reactions from me. I normally either clam up and say nothing or speak out of my flesh and say the wrong thing. Either way, I miss an opportunity to impact a life and someone misses an opportunity to hear the truth from God. I really admire Paul’s walk with God. He stayed in tune with what God was doing around him and joined Him in it. In the heat of the moment, he did not back down nor did he lash out. He worked through his internal turmoil and found a way to speak the truth in a manner that would be understandable to the people around him. He did not worry about hurting their feelings, he went right after their practices. The results were amazing. Some believed and gave their lives to Christ while the others remained open to hearing the truth again. I need to prepare myself for the moment when I stand up and have the opportunity to speak.
P: It is the blanks that scare me. I often worry over the words that will proceed from my mouth when I have the opportunity to speak. I can blow it. I have seen me do it many times. I need Your help. Open my eyes to observe the things that are going on around me. Allow me to be stirred in my Spirit when I see something that stirs you. Grant me the Wisdom I need to understand how to clearly articulate the message that you have for those You place in my life.
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