Digging Deeper: Your Story Matters
11 So, setting sail from Troas, we made a direct voyage to Samothrace, and the following day to Neapolis, 12 and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We remained in this city some days. 13 And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to the riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we sat down and spoke to the women who had come together. 14 One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul. 15 And after she was baptized, and her household as well, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” And she prevailed upon us.
Acts 16:11-15 (ESV)
YOUR STORY MATTERS
Having a ’90s childhood means that I experienced top-class Disney movie releases while growing up. From Aladdin, A Goofy Movie, to The Lion King, there were plenty of classics released in that time.
This trend over the last decade or so of turning animated classics into live-action films has not been my favorite. Part of what made those films so good was the incredible songs and musical scores pinned underneath the timeless animation. When they remade “The Lion King” into live action, I did not bother to watch it, in part because they cut down the iconic song “Be Prepared” in the movie.
There is a vital need for our preparedness when we think about our faith journey. It promotes a sense of urgency and the need to be intentional about all the decisions that we make. President Jimmy Carter said, “We should all live our lives as though Christ was coming this afternoon.”
As we continue studying Lydia’s conversion as recorded in the book of Acts, we are reminded of the need we all have to be willing to share the gospel with others. Paul and his traveling party were doing their part to fulfill the Great Commission, often risking life and limb to be faithful stewards of the task given them.
Lydia, upon hearing the gospel message, was baptized and had her entire house baptized in the name of Jesus. There was an immediate call to action and faithfulness centered around the sharing of how this message had moved her.
Sometimes it might be uncomfortable to share your message of faith in your life. It could be a taboo topic to bring up at work, or maybe you have family members – as I do – who do not have any godly beliefs at all. Sometimes, for the sake of getting along, we choose passivity, trusting in a sense that God will make it happen and maybe believing he doesn’t really need us to be awkwardly outspoken in those moments.
But what if God has uniquely prepared you for that moment and that conversation? What if all of your experiences are pushing you towards a conversation today with somebody you’ve never met – and what if their eternity depends on it?
When questioned about whether or not our actions can actually affect the eternity of others, Pastor John Piper offered this:
“…we learn that God has set up the world in such a way that we human beings bear the burden of real causality. We are causes in the world. We make things happen under God’s providence. Our actions make things happen. Our failure to act fails to make things happen and, therefore, it is not right to say, ‘Because of predestination, my failure to act will not prevent someone’s salvation.’ We don’t know that. We cannot see into God’s book of decrees and plans.”
1 Peter 3:15 encourages us to always be prepared to discuss and defend our faith, 1 Timothy 2 says that we should pray for all people, which includes unbelievers, and James 4:2 helps reaffirm that those prayers make a difference.
Much like Lydia, we are called to be bold with our faith. Have the uncomfortable conversation, be prepared to discuss the difference Jesus makes in your life, and pray tirelessly for the unbelievers in your life, that God would open their heart to hear his call to come home with him.
Lee Wilson and his wife, Deanna, have been NorthStar Church members since 2010. They are parents to Everett, Henry and Roselyn. Lee is passionate about sports (Go Braves, Go Dawgs) and has the pleasure to serve on the worship team as a bassist.