Acts 20:35 35 "In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” NIV
This passage in Acts 20 is Paul’s farewell to the beloved church in Ephesus where he spent a great deal of his time and had some very good years of ministry. What caught my attention is how Paul described what he did and how he conducted himself among them – and not just for fleeting moments but for nearly three years. Paul was a man of integrity, industry, and instruction; and he did all three faithfully.
I know my character flaws; I realize how many the excuses our society makes for failing to come through on promises, cutting corners, and saying one thing and doing another. Our society is desperately in need of people of integrity and strong moral character. Equally our society is scared to death by such people as well. People today would rather you fail (like them) than to live up to the demands of godly discipline and self-restraint; and telling the truth; and keeping a promise even when it hurts to do so. Many would rather play the victim, or the martyr, or the I-only-human card; and then skate by on way less than we can deliver if only we tried.
In Christ we are called to a higher standard. In Him we are called to let go of our efforts and cling to His. In Him we are called to forsake our own power and trust solely upon His. And Paul lived this kind of life and could stand flat footed and look anybody straight in the eye and say he did – that’s the evidence of the power of Christ; and Paul’s challenge: look closely into my life and tell me if I’m lying.
I will only succeed in living the Paul-life if I non-negotiably lean on the Holy Spirit as he did…
Father in Heaven,
Though the pile of my shortcomings is as big as Everest, the power and presence of Your Spirit in my life dwarfs that pile infinitely. I give myself to You once again this day so that I can say to others, what I did before you all, I did in Him and by His power – through Jesus, amen.
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