Acts 24:24-26
A few days later Felix and his wife, Drusilla, who was Jewish, sent for Paul and listened to him talk about a life of believing in Jesus Christ. As Paul continued to insist on right relations with God and his people, about a life of moral discipline and the coming Judgment, Felix felt things getting a little too close for comfort and dismissed him. “That’s enough for today. I’ll call you back when it’s convenient.” At the same time he was secretly hoping that Paul would offer him a substantial bribe. These conversations were repeated frequently.
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
We don’t give little kids enough credit… they are often smarter than we think! So when Timothy begins to get sleepy and feels a nap coming on, he will often “suddenly” become very thirsty or hungry… he will need to switch activities… or he will have some sort of meltdown. In his own way, things have gotten a little too close for comfort, and he is dismissing us. Naps are incredibly inconvenient when you have planned a whole day of play!
By the same token, my grandmother had a way of dismissing me when things got uncomfortable. She would change the subject or make excuses. Until the idea somehow shifted and became hers, many conversations were “tabled” or dropped altogether. One that comes to mind is the decision to move to an Assisted Living Facility. When we made our first “tour,” she found all sorts of reasons that this was not a good fit for her… and she said that she was not going. A little over a month later, she phoned me one day and asked, “What do you think about me moving to the Assisted Living Facility?”
What does all of this have to do with our Christian faith? I believe we can take away two “lessons” from this passage. First, we must recognize that we make excuses all the time for not fully hearing from God. It’s like when my doctor says, “Women of your age need to pay attention to XYZ”… I often hear him selectively! If he is suggesting I lose a few pounds and I really didn’t want to hear what I already knew, I gloss over it. When he looks at blemishes on my skin and declares them a normal part of aging, I don’t like hearing the translation that “you’re not as young as you once were!”
And when God speaks to us – through scripture, prayer, daily circumstances – or even a friend or family member – and says, “That is not what you should be doing,” or “Your words and actions are not appropriate,” or “I need you to change direction and do XYZ,” we often find the conversation uncomfortable and dismiss the messenger! In essence, we say, “That’s enough for today. I’ll call you back when it’s convenient!” And like Felix, we secretly hope that God (or the doctor) will say, “Never mind...it’s okay. Carry on as usual, and I’ll take care of everything!”
Additionally, I believe that as we witness to others and serve as Christ’s disciples, we must understand that many of the people we encounter already have their “guns loaded” and an “arsenal” of excuses. And we have to learn to be patient and trust God for opportunities to work. Notice the last sentence of this scripture passage, which says… “These conversations were repeated frequently.” This tells me that Paul did not fold up his tent and go home. He also didn’t badger. He simply kept showing up… sharing the message of Jesus Christ in words and actions… then he waited and gave God room to work.
Where are you in this picture? Are you making excuses to God? Has your relationship with Him grown a little uncomfortable? Have you dismissed Him – if only for what you consider to be a temporary separation? What about your Christian witness to others… are you patient? Do you cram your ideas and your desire for them to live in a certain manner down their throats, so to speak? In other words… are you pushy? Or do you gently demonstrate love and care… and give others an example of Christ-like living that leaves them saying, “I want some of what he/she has!”?
In the end, whether we are on giving or receiving end of Christian witness… we all have frequent excuses for how we behave and react. And amazingly… somehow…God is gentle, patient and loving with us, even though we must thoroughly exasperate Him every day! God is never pushy… but He isn’t a pushover, either! We need to spend some time in prayer and soul-searching. We need to discover where we truly are in our relationship with Him. Are we making excuses… and do we have different expectations for others? Do we see that our behavior is essentially the same as that of the ones we hope to reach for Jesus? Isn’t it time to get rid of the excuses… to risk feeling uncomfortable for a brief time in order to come out stronger in the end?
Just as a short nap refreshes a toddler for more hours of play… and a life-changing decision to move into a home that offers much-needed continual care can be the right choice… we can discover that ditching our excuses and literally taking a “leap of faith” has rewards and blessings far beyond what we could ever have imagined. Not only can exercising patience, love, prayer and perseverance as we witness to others honor Jesus and His teachings… these behaviors can also build our Christian character. Isn’t it time to get right with God and to learn to listen to Him – in your own life and in your Christian witness? Will you step out and live/serve in faith… or are you already devising your next excuse?
©2013 Debbie Robus
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