As people, I think we live in everlasting hope of “the next time.”
- the next job
- the next relationship
- the next church
- the next “hack”
- the next big idea
Somehow the allure of the fresh start causes us to dream of getting the outcome we want.
Have you ever looked forward to the next something as the “the one I’ll finally get right”? You won’t be alone in that.
I’m currently going through a potential job situation where I might get to do something new. I can’t help but think “This one will be different…”
It might. Or it might be exactly the same as what I’m experiencing now. After all, I am the common denominator in both opportunities.
Have you ever heard the definition of insanity as “doing the same thing but expecting different results”?
If that’s the case, then we all have our moments of insanity.
Change is hard and we don’t always want to make the effort to grow though it. And without change, we end up doing the same thing again – with the same outcomes as the result.
Cue the Apostle Paul. Last week we talked about a new direction and Lydia becoming the “first European Christian” (or not). He could have thought that “in a new region, I’m going to get different results”.
On the first missionary journey he met hatred and opposition and death threats. This second journey could be different. Right?
In Acts 16, the very next story after learning about Lydia, Paul finds himself in trouble and in prison (again). Doing the right thing ended up putting him on the wrong side of a lot of people.
Objectively it was a good thing that he did – casting a demon out of a young girl. But without her demon, she lost her power to speak prophecy, and her owners didn’t like losing their revenue stream.
So Paul and Silas found themselves in jail – and unjustly so. But the good news is that out of this chapter we get the wonderful verse of Acts 16:31:
And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”
Skip ahead a chapter and Paul has moved on to Thessolonica and its a complete wash-rinse-repeat of the experience in the first journey.
After preaching Jesus, the Jewish synagogue sparks a riot, demanding that Paul be shown the city limits with a sharp boot (sandal?) to the back side.
No change.
But then I don’t think Paul really expected that. He wasn’t doing missionary work because he wanted to find the perfect city where the message would be accepted and everything would be rainbows and roses.
No, Paul’s ministry philosophy was not based on finding ideal outcomes. In his letter to the Corinthian church (we’ll get there soon), he said:
- I have become all things to all people so that by all means I might reach some.
- I discipline my body and make it my slave, lest after preaching the gospel, I should disqualify myself.
Paul wasn’t focused on outcomes and seeking the right outcome. He was focused on service and faithfulness. He didn’t have the expectation that if he “just did it right” he’d get what he wanted. Opposition was a part of the equation and he knew that it would get physical from time to time.
And that was ok with him.
So how do you look at your next opportunity? Are you focused on faithfulness and being obedient? Or do you look at the outcomes and hope for the best possible result?
The Apostle Paul models the right behavior for us. He kept getting the same outcome. And it wasn’t necessarily a pleasant outcome. He continually found himself in danger for his life.
But he didn’t consider that outcome something to flee. It was something that he couldn’t control. So he focused on what he could control – that is his own faithfulness to the mission he had been given.
As you look at your next “opportunity” – for whatever matters to you – try shifting your focus from the outcome to your own faithfulness.
Instead of asking “what can I do to get the best outcome?” try one of these:
- How can I live faithfully in the gospel?
- How can I maximize the visibility of my testimony?
- How can I choose God over the options competing for my attention?
- How can I rely on God to produce the outcome that will be the best for me?
This is what the Apostle Paul would have done. It’s a good path – although not the common path. But godliness is always the more excellent way.
I hope this gives you something to think about for a while. It’s a chewy topic, so lean into it.
Last week I promised you an “announcement” this week.
If you are an audio person, this could be very exciting for you! Up to this point I’ve been a “written text” kind of guy. And I appreciate that you’ve engaged with me that way.
But recently Google announced a program to create Audiobooks using computer generated voices. Its a kind of beta-program. But I’ve been interested to hear what the “AI voices” could do.
As a technology-oriented person, it’s been very interesting (and impressive!) to see what can be done. I’ve spent the last week working on converting 2 of my books to Audiobook.
You’ll have to decide for yourself if you think these computer-generated voices sound like people or not. For my part, I think they are a little different, but still really good.
If you want to give it a sample, you can find these books on the Google Play store here:
What’s even better, is that Google offers a variety of different voices that can read the book. Both of the Google offerings are in the voice of “Mary” a female voice with an American accent.
However, Google let me play around with the voices and I have an option of “Mary” or “Marcus” available for sale on my website for both books. So if you like a female voice you can get that. And if you prefer to listen to a male voice, you can do that as well.
It’s a great time to be alive! I can’t believe all the ways that God’s Word can go forth into the world. I’m just glad to be able share the words in these new ways.
If you’ve been thinking “I wish I could have an audio version to listen to” your time has come. Enjoy!
Dennis
