“I wanna dance like David
I wanna faith like Paul
I wanna sing like Silas tearing down the prison walls”
You must have heard this very catchy tune by Brandon Lake? (If you haven’t, don’t go listen to it now because you will be humming it all day! 😁 )
Anyhoo… I am stuck in exactly that spot in the book of Acts.
Backstory: Paul had a little … erm… moment and in frustration cast out a spirit from a young slave lady that could foretell the future (Acts 16:16) and the owners who were making bags of money from this woman, got a bit upset and got Paul and Silas in trouble. The kind of trouble that got them beaten and thrown in jail.
So in this version of the story: Why don’t Paul and Silas seem fazed in any way?
They were stripped of their robes, beaten, and then thrown in jail, yet in the middle of the night, Paul was praying and Silas was singing and the rest of the prisoners were listening… Why so relaxed?
Maybe because it was expected? Back in the beginning of Acts, Paul meets Jesus on the Damascus road, and we know they had a conversation there. Ananias were told to go to Paul and when he questioned the sanity of the decision, God told him about Paul:
“…And I will show him how much he is destined to suffer because of his passion for me…”
(Acts 9:16b TPT)
That incident was followed by many beatings, arrests of the followers of Christ, and even the stoning of Steven… Opposition was expected and it seems even celebrated.
”Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds…”
(James 1:2 NIV)
I heard a pastor make an excellent analogy for the Christian Life. In any group sport like Rugby, Soccer or Football, you are standing in your space, ready to do your part. You trained, you have all the moves down, all you need is the ball.
And then the moment comes. The ball is in your hands! It’s your time to shine. It is your time to do your thing! And what happens next…? Ten of the biggest and meanest guys in the world is headed straight at you with one goal: To wipe you off the face of the earth with as much excessive force as they can muster… because they never want you to touch that ball again with any kind of confidence!
As Christians, we prepare and train. We go to church, we attend bible school, we study the word and we learn to pray, and, and, and… but I realised something.
Are we ready, and expecting, and fit enough to take the hit?
We quote Jeremiah “I have good things planned for you…” and think the opposition will bounce off our armour? NO!
We wear the Armour of God not because the enemy will run away in fear of its shinyness, but because we are going into battle! Your breastplate will take shots, your sword will be dented and the blade chipped and as it says in Proverbs, we will prevail because:
“for though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again,”
(Proverbs 24:16 NIV)
I was following the preparation of my son’s karate tournament some time ago, and although they did a lot of skills training and focused on technique, one thing they never missed in one class was the part where they learnt to strengthen their bodies to take… a… hit…
What soon became apparent at that tournament was that more often than not, who won and who lost was not always based on the most skilled fighter, but the one that could take the most hits and get back up and go again: bloody noses, split lips and all.
So back to Paul & Silas…
Beatings and jail time was not unexpected. It wasn’t even significant. It wasn’t a shock to their system because they were prepared for the opposing force to arrive. Regularly and frequently… Because they were following Christ. Because they were living their purpose.
So when I have a tough week at work, or when things go wrong, or when the troubles pile on. I really shouldn’t be fooled anymore. The enemy will use any means possible to make you less effective and get you off your game! Anything to make an excuse, anything to look for blame. ANYTHING not to live your purpose!
I realised I am not yet strong enough. I need to train to take the hits and then Pray like Paul, Dance like David and sing like Silas. Sharpen your blade and knock the dents out of your shield. The next rock is coming, the next flaming arrow is already in the air, the next battle is around the bend in the road.
Don’t fear it… Welcome it!
