Acts 25. 11 If,
however, I am guilty of doing anything deserving death, I do not refuse to die.
But if the charges brought against me by these Jews are not true, no one has
the right to hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar!”
If we learn nothing else from Paul, we should learn this:
he was deft on his feet. In other
words, Paul understood the circumstances around him and was very good at
assessing his options. Now, that isn’t to call the Apostle some kind of
superman; it’s that we understand a bit more, and emulate how he operated. Paul
was very smart – and I believe he possessed a measure of “spiritual
cleverness”.
Cleverness can be positive or negative. Clever, can be
ingenious, astute, or adroit; or it can be shrewd, crafty, wily, or cunning.
There are hues of cleverness that can shade one’s MO. Paul, I think, was on the
positive side of cleverness. Paul correctly assessed the situation and saw what
his options were and went with what he knew to be his opportunity.
Like him or not, our present Commander-in-Chief is somewhat like Paul. (I can hear the shrieks of disagreement and judgment of heresy – I get it.) But one thing our current CIC does that his enemies can’t quite figure out: he doesn’t seem to act the way they expect him to. Paul’s enemies thought the same – they expected Paul to act the way they would. Paul, I think, knew that and responded accordingly.
So, what do you do when someone you expect to act your
way, doesn’t? Why in the world, in the midst of a theological debate, would
someone appeal to Caesar, or the government? Why wouldn’t they appeal to
theology or the religious law or play by that set of rules? Is it because they
are deft, adept, and quick on their feet; or do they appeal to a different
calling? And wasn’t it Paul who told the Corinthians, “Why in the world would
you take a dispute between yourselves to a pagan court!? Can’t you guys in
Christ work that out on your own!??” (Cf. 1 Corinthians 6)
In our lives, we need reliance on the presence of God and
ability to remain light on our feet. That doesn’t mean malicious, deceptive, or
devious – but it does mean assessing the situation from a godly perspective and
using all the tools possible to do as we think God would have us do. Practical
knowledge and application of the Word is a great place to start.
We know Paul, but we only know him from a distance. We
know Paul but we don’t really know the culture he lived in or how people
actually thought in those days. But we emulate Paul in the stories and accounts
we have of him. We emulate Paul in his relationship with God as we would have
our relationship with God. Does that mean our circumstances will be identical
to his? No. But it does mean we ask God for wisdom with the expectation that He
will provide it for us. If He won’t or there’s some question as to if He will,
then we needn’t ask at all. God answers expectant prayers.
Lord, may I live
for You with the vigor and determination Paul had; and my I learn to see what I
can do and wisely avoid the things I cannot. I have rights not only as a
citizen of heaven, but also as a citizen of earth. May I use the tools I have
to further Your work in this world; that others may hear, and see, and know
Your glory and goodness! Amen
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