Faith That Stands

Scripture:
"Brethren and Fathers, hear my defense which I now offer to you." Acts 22:1

Observation:
Paul's defense was not for himself. He was in a really serious situation. The stakes were high. The consequences for his beliefs and teaching meant the end of life as the Jewish leaders knew it. As he stood before them, he fully understood what they would have planned for him. He himself had taken part in such plans himself. In fact, he was counted among their most zealous defenders. Now, with a wave of his hand he had their attention and began to speak. He could have easily bent the truth. He could have covered his words, said the right things, and then walked out of there unscathed. But he did not. He stuck to the truth as he knew it to be.

Application:
Knowing how to apply scriptures such as this one to my life can at first pass be difficult. I live in a different place and time. No one persecutes me for my beliefs. No angry mob of people is following me around waiting for an opportunity to seize me and beat me to death with stones. Yet, there is something about this passage that just grabs hold of me.

There are a few things about this scene that I need to learn. First, Paul knew what he believed. Not in a theological manner, but from first hand experience. Paul lived the life and connected with God in an authentic manner. The same should be true for me. I need to own my faith. I need to experience the movement of God first hand. I need to know what I believe in and have real life experiences that back it up. To do this requires a commitment to seek after God every single day and pay attention to the lessons that He offers.

Second, what Paul believed affected how he lived his life. Once Paul had a genuine encounter with God, he was no longer able to live life the same way. Everything he once held dear was traded for the new way of life God offered to him. How much of my daily life is affected by my beliefs? That is a haunting question to ask. There is not guilt in what I feel, only a massive sense of curiosity at the thought of what else I might experience if I truly released control of my life and allowed my relationship with God to really impact the way I live.

Third, Paul shared his faith. He never backed down, no matter where he went or who he was with. He was constantly on the look out for an opportunity to share his story. What a great challenge. Everywhere I go I am generally on an agenda. I am after something that I want or need. I wonder how many people I have walked right past who were literally dieing on the inside to know that God is real, that He loves them and that there is more to life than what they are experiencing. The great sense of purpose, acceptance, love, joy, hope and forgiveness that guides me everyday is a free gift to all who are willing to believe. Why would I fear sharing that?

Finally, Paul made no excuses for what he believed. One of the draw backs to the society that we live in today is that everyone is afraid of offending someone. We try to dummy everything down so that it is acceptable by all. God does not work that way. His truth is always going to be offensive to some. There is no way around that. If I really live out my calling in life, there is always going to be an element of folks who disagree. This is not a license to be a jerk. Nor is it an excuse to brow beat people with the Bible. But it is a call to really stand firm on what I know to be truth.

Prayer:
In my heart, I know that the same Spirit that was present in Paul's life is at work in my life. I have access to the same strength, wisdom, and guidance. But in my head, I carry around doubts. My words get tied up and I often find myself unable to untie the knots. As I sit and pray I feel a stirring deep inside that is begging to experience more of You. I want to walk in a new level of obedience and see first hand the power of Your presence. That is my deepest desire. There are many things in my life that interfere with this happening. I pray that You move upon life in a way that is undeniably You. That is my only hope. It is the only pathway which leads me to have faith that can stand under the weight of daily life.