As I live here on the campus of Dickinson State University I find myself asking these questions quite often. I live in a dorm that is very diverse. There are many different nationalities of people represented in the campus housing that I live in. There are people that come from all walks of life both here from the states and from other nations. There are people that know more of the English language than others and there are those that know it well but just choose not to communicate often in English. I live with people that are hurting either physically or spiritually and that are searching for a place in this world. I live with people that think they have life all figured and are motivated to be successful. I live with people that are so motivated in academics that they don't have a social life. I live with people that don't take school seriously but they put everything they have into athletics to be successful. I live with people that love Jesus with all their heart and live for Him daily. I live with people that are on the fence of living for this world and living for God. I live with people that don't believe in Jesus but respect others that do. I live with people that don't believe in God and do what they can to shut people up about Jesus. I live with a diverse group of people. The question is, "What is my business in the lives of the people that I live with?"
I have been reading through the book of Acts for the past few weeks and closely studying the life of Saul (Paul). Paul was a man that recognized the diverse population of people around him. Paul recognized the differences in people. The people that he lived around is who he kept a close eye on. What was Paul's business in the lives of the people that he lived around before he was a Christian? Paul's business was to destroy the followers of Christ that believed in the Resurrection of the dead into life. Paul thought it was his business to cast votes that determined the fate of a person's life. He thought his business was to: Acts 9:2 request letters addressed to the synagogues in Damascus, asking for their cooperation in the arrest of any followers of the Way he found there. Paul wanted to bring them, both men and women, back to Jerusalem in chains.
He thought this was his true business of life, but Paul was mistaken.
Acts 9:3-9 As Paul was approaching Damascus on this mission, a light from heaven suddenly shone down around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?" "Who are you, Lord? Saul asked. And the voice replied, "I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting! Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do." The men with Saul stood speechless, for they heard the sound of someone's voice but saw no one! Saul picked himself up off the ground, but when he opened his eyes he was blind. So his companions led him by the hand to Damascus. He remained there blind for three days and did not eat or drink.
(paraphrased from Acts 9:10-19)
Paul, (Saul), was set on carrying out his destruction of Christians but Jesus had different business for Paul to carry out. As Paul went into Damascus to meet up with a believer of Christ named Ananias, Paul was delivered from his blindness as Ananias laid hands on him in the name of Jesus and Paul was baptized in the Holy Spirit! There was a commissioning on that day I believe of a man that once thought he know what his business was on this earth into a business statement written from the God in heaven to be done through Paul. A new assignment in life. An assignment that brings love, joy, peace, and life. The business statement that God sent down to Paul was this: "Saul is my chosen instrument to take my message to the Gentiles and to kings, as well as to the people of Israel. And I will show him how much he must suffer for my name's sake." (Acts 9:15,16)
First thing I know that is my business of doing is:
1. Accepting the calling of being God's instrument of taking the message of Jesus to the people of this world.
God continues to tell me that I am His chosen instrument to take His message to the people of this world. God is showing me also how much I must suffer for His name's sake of seeing people coming to know Him as their Lord and Savior. The suffering that I experience in living in the dorm can be very overwhelming at times. There is times that I feel like giving up. I feel sometimes that I have been jailed just like Paul was as he went about preaching the News of Jesus Christ to people. The one thing I need to learn to do more is to rejoice even in the hard times. Paul sang and praised God has he was jailed in the worse of worse of jails. (Read Acts 16:16-40)
Second thing I know that is my business of doing is:
2. Rejoicing before my God even in the worse of persecution and trials and not just in the good of times.
I just like Paul I have been put into a position of authority in Christ's name to witness to all different kinds of audiences of people. Just like the people I am living with on campus. I know I must share the truth with people about the Love of Jesus and how they can have the exact same authority in Christ just like I do and that God wants to unlock amazing giftings in all people. I have been strategically placed around people right now that I can only reach in Christ's name! That is my business! It's not my business to judge or to necessarily know where that person has been in their lives, but to reach for them at where they are in their lives and show them what building their house on The Solid Rock feels like. Knowing and believing this leads me to my third point of business.
Third thing I know that is my business of doing:
3. It is my business to be out for people. It is my business to make everybody hungry and dissatisfied. It is my business to make people either glad or mad.
I have a message from Heaven that will not leave people as I find them.
This is my business.
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