Acts 20

Read: Acts 20

Here in this chapter we see Paul’s unflinching faithfulness.  Starting in verse 17, Paul says his farewell to the Ephesians.  He recounts his time with them and reminds them of his faithfulness to proclaim the truth about repentance and faith in Jesus even when he had to face many trials and difficulties.  Now despite being warned by many that he would face chains and afflictions for going, he is compelled by the Spirit to go to Jerusalem. Because of this, he tells them that he will not see them again.  

Paul saw what was important and lived like it was important.  Many people proclaim what is important, but live like it doesn’t matter.  Paul said, “I consider my life of no value to myself; my purpose is to finish my course and the ministry I received from the Lord Jesus.”  He was not concerned with the afflictions he may face, imprisonment, financial security, or persecution.  He was concerned about honoring God and being obedient to his calling. He had been obedient in his calling to the Ephesians, even at times when he had no support.  He had raised up leaders there, and the church was able to continue on without him because he had given it a strong foundation.

Sometimes we can feel like it all relies on us.  “If I wasn’t here, things wouldn’t get done!” “If I wasn’t here, the successes that have been accomplished would not have been possible!”  There may be an element of truth to that, but the reality is that God can always raise up someone else to do the things that you do. And if you are prioritizing the right things, you will realize that you need to be developing other people to do what you do.  Life is constantly about mentoring and being mentored.

Mentoring is something many in the business world understand, but the church world often misses.  One of the biggest reasons successful companies fail is because when their charismatic leader is gone, there is no one that is ready to fill the void.  We should always be seeking to develop people. We should train our children up in the ways of the Lord so that whether they walk with him or not, they have the foundation to fall back on when life brings its worst.  We should pour into younger generations in our churches and workplace and seek to use our experience and wisdom to help them in their own journeys. We should seek to live our lives in such a way that when we do say goodbye, we can do it knowing we have done our best to be faithful with the things that God had entrusted us with.