In reading through Acts I’ve met Philip, Ananias and now Peter (Acts 10) whose flexibility is a rebuke to me. I like to know things ahead, to have a plan, to organize my days. I’m not big on spontaneity (or rather, the spontaneity I’m big on is surprise diversions of thought; I prefer to keep my days predictable so creativity can flourish in odd places like writing projects – at least that’s what I tell myself).
But God didn’t encourage these early Christians in that kind of control over their lives. He kept breaking in with interruptions:
Philip, leave the meeting with hundreds. I have a job for you on the backside of the desert.
Ananias, time to break out of your routine with a visit to Straight Street. There, by the way, you’ll meet the infamous Saul. Scared? Trust me.
Peter, forsake your itinerary for a few days and go to Gentile Cornelius.
I’m sensing God wants the same kind of turn-on-a-dime obedience from us – from me. His agenda, not mine. His agenda means being at His beck and call all day long, that beck and call coming through knocks on the door, telephone calls, emails... Or, if no interruptions present themselves, to faithfully work at the tasks already assigned, even if it’s just staying by the boring stuff.
“Many of us are after our own ends. And Jesus Christ cannot help Himself to our lives. If we are abandoned to Jesus, we have no ends of our own to serve.”
- Oswald Chambers
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