Acts 21:14 (KJV)
And when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, The will of the Lord be done.
Many years ago, I pastored in Astoria, Oregon. I led the church there to install an air-conditioning unit in the auditorium, but like so many Baptist churches, we did not have enough money to install what would have been the appropriately sized unit. It worked well for the most part, but there were some summer days when the building filled with people and the air became quite stale.
On one occasion, a very kind lady in the church started to open a window, as they were accustomed to doing before we had air-conditioning. I stopped her and explained that the A/C would not work efficiently with the windows open. She countered that the A/C was not doing enough anyway. I insisted that we allow it to do its job, explaining that it would be better than having hot air flooding in while the unit struggled to cool the room.
She turned to my wife and said, “He is the most stubborn man I’ve ever known.”
Mind you, she is—to this day—a very close friend. And, by the way, I think I’d have had a tough run against her husband in the race of stubbornness.
I can imagine those believers trying to persuade Paul not to go to Jerusalem finally giving up and saying, “He is the most stubborn man I’ve ever known.”
I know my personal illustration does not compare with the situation unfolding in Paul’s life, but there are some parallels. Leadership is often called to insist upon things that those under that leadership do not understand and cannot agree with. In the temporary, worldly sense, they could have said in the end that they were right—Paul did get arrested in Jerusalem and was eventually executed in Rome. (But we know that God had a greater purpose and Paul was used mightily in those prison years.)
I am not saying the pastor is always right. But he is always the pastor. If he is humble, he will listen to the people of his congregation and allow them to influence his leadership. In the end, however, he is the one who must make the decisions. In eternity, he is the one who will give an account.
A humble congregation understands this and loves their pastor—even when they sometimes, and perhaps oftentimes, disagree, and even when they can later point out that on the visible world at least, they were right.
#TheWillOfTheLord #BiblicalLeadership #TrustGodsPlan #SubmissionAndFaith #PastoralResponsibility
Stubborn or Steadfast? The Will of the Lord Be Done
Looking for clear Bible answers in a confusing world? 📖
Acts 21:14 reminds us that obedience to God’s will is not always comfortable—but it is always right.
Have you ever faced a moment when doing right looked like being stubborn to others? 🤔
Drop a comment below—how did you know it was the Lord leading you?
If you want straightforward Bible study, rooted in Scripture, not opinion or trend, visit 👉 marvinmckenzie.org
You’ll find teaching designed to help you understand God’s Word and apply it with confidence.
📘 Read the Bible.
🛐 Trust the Lord.
🙏 Let His will be done.
To my readers:
For this and, more than 7000 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.
If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.
My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org
Join me at Daily Visits with God Podcast
https://marvinmckenzie.substack.com/
Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more
Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give.
No comments:
Post a Comment