When I read Acts 24:24-25, I could definitely see how it relates to today’s times. It has happened in conversations I’ve had with others. Maybe you can resonate as well.
- “After a few days Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was a Jew. Felix asked for Paul to be brought to him. He listened to Paul talk about believing in Christ Jesus. 25 But Felix became afraid when Paul spoke about things like doing right, self-control, and the judgment that will come in the future. He said, “Go away now. When I have more time, I will call for you.”
When sharing Christ with others, believing in God can be the easy part of accepting Him into your heart. But when the straightforwardness of knowing that you need to simply ask Jesus into your heart settles in, new believers, or people who are just considering it, often start to think about their lifestyle change.
The Message translations states verse 25a as, “As Paul continued to insist on right relations with God and his people, about a life of moral discipline and the coming Judgment…”.
What? I’ve got to start living right? I have to morally discipline myself? Judgment Day? Yikes!
I could totally see this in a woman’s face when I shared Jesus with her a couple of weeks ago. Believing and asking Christ into her heart was a breeze. She was very agreeable. But when talking about going a step further in her walk with Jesus, I could see her mind just a churning.
Psalm 37:4 is one of my favorite verses. It says, “Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart.” I’ve discovered that when you grow in your walk with Christ, when you “delight yourself in Him”, your desires become whatever He desires.
Another great verse to remind yourself of when you are a new Christian, or even a mature Christian, is Matthew 22:36-37. The Sadducees and Pharisees asked Jesus, “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ If you follow this greatest command, your priorities will be in the right order, and everything else will fall into place.
Don’t stop sharing Christ with others. Even when they get discouraged and tell you “that’s enough for now”, just know that God went before you in the conversation and softened their heart in the first place to hear you. A seed has been planted.
Blessings to you all!
July 30