Share God's Gift of Salvation with Everyone Around
Scripture Passage: Acts 11:11-18 (NASB)
11 And behold, at that moment three men who had been sent to me from Caesarea came up to the house where we were staying. 12 And the Spirit told me to go with them without misgivings. These six brothers also went with me, and we entered the man’s house. 13 And he reported to us how he had seen the angel standing in his house, and saying, ‘Send some men to Joppa and have Simon, who is also called Peter, brought here; 14 and he will speak words to you by which you will be saved, you and all your household.’ 15 And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them just as He did upon us at the beginning. 16 And I remembered the word of the Lord, how He used to say, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ 17 Therefore, if God gave them the same gift as He also gave to us after believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God’s way?” 18 When they heard this, they quieted down and glorified God, saying, “Well then, God has also granted to the Gentiles the repentance that leads to life.”
SUMMARY
Peter describes to his fellow apostles why he met with and evangelized to the Gentiles in Caesarea. He says that the Holy Spirit told him to go to the Gentile’s house. Peter says that when he arrived at the Gentile’s house, the Gentile told him that he also had seen an angel who told him to send for Peter, who would speak words by which he and his household would be saved. And indeed, as Peter spoke to the Gentile, the Holy Spirit fell upon them just as it did upon the apostles at Pentecost.
When the apostles heard Peter’s words, they praised God and acknowledged that God has given the Gentiles the gift of eternal life.
REFLECTION
Like the apostles who initially criticized Peter, in my mind I too have walled off certain people from Christianity. Especially at work. It’s easy to be a Christian at church, or at home. But I almost never discuss Christianity at work in my Christian life. I separate work from my Christian life for many reasons.
First, I fear the consequences of sharing my faith at work. I worry about how others will think of me, and whether they will then think I’m a “stereotypical” Christian in some way.
Second, I fear that sharing my Christianity at work will reveal that I’m a hypocrite. At work I am at times stressed, angry, petty, annoyed to the same degree as (or more than) any of my co-workers. Although I know that being Christian does not make me perfect – and God does not ask me to be perfect, I know others (especially non-Christians) use Christians’ behavior to attack Christianity. I don’t want to be an example in their mind of unworthy Christian behavior. And I don’t want to have to live up to any higher moral standard because I know I can’t.
Third, I just don’t want to do it. In my mind, work is not my mission field. It’s simply a place where I get work done and make a living. I don’t want the added stress or pressure of having to convert Christians.
APPLICATION
I’m ashamed to admit all of this, but it’s true. I am fundamentally selfish. And God tells me in this passage (and in the passages of the past week) that I am living completely backwards. My work is not why I’m in my workplace. I’m there because God blessed me with a job, for His reason. God loves everyone the way He loves me. And He has commanded me to love everyone around me. Not just the people with whom I’m more familiar or comfortable, but everyone.
PRAYER
Lord, thank you for your gift of Jesus Christ, redemption and eternal life. So often I forget that this same precious gift that You gave me, You offer to everyone. I forget that You command me to spread the Word to the ends of the earth. In fact, I don’t even need to travel to the ends of the earth – You bring Your people to me, at my workplace. Lord, help me not to care about my own ego or what others will think of me. You love me, and that’s all that I need. Fill me with the desire and the means to speak articulately about Your love to those around me. In Jesus’s name I pray. Amen.
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