Reading Plan:
Acts 26


Our Thoughts:
Steve Jobs, the charismatic founder of Apple, was quoted saying, “People think focus means saying yes to the thing you've got to focus on. But that's not what it means at all. It means saying no to the hundred other good ideas that there are. You have to pick carefully. I'm actually as proud of the things we haven't done as the things I have done. Innovation is saying no to 1,000 things.”

Can you imagine being a part of an organization that has led the way in technological innovation and saying that you are just as proud of the things you haven’t done? The man responsible for leading revolutions in the personal computer, cellphone, AND music industries said one of the greatest skills is learning to say “no.” I can only imagine what kind of ideas were left on the scrap floor of Apple.

But that is the nature of life. Every “yes” holds a hidden “no.” We are finite beings, which means our time, resources, attention, and abilities are all limited. So, when we say “yes” to spending some of our limited means, we are inevitably saying “no” to spending that resource on something else. You simply can not say “yes” to staying late at work and “yes” to picking up your spouse for an early date on Friday night. Somebody once said that our whole life is determined by where we chose to put our “yes” and our “no.”

As the Apostle Paul stood before King Agrippa in Acts chapter 26, he recounts how his entire life was changed by a simple “yes.” Paul had devoted his life to being a Pharisee, a dream many Jewish boys would have longed for. The Pharisees were the keepers of the law. They not only made the rules, but they enforced them. If you wanted to do good in the eyes of the Jewish system you had to play by the Pharisees’ rules. Talk about the ultimate power role.

All throughout the life of Jesus, the Pharisees opposed Him, because the message of Jesus threatened their hold on power and authority. Paul, called Saul at the time, posed an especially harsh kind of opposition though. After the death of Jesus, he persecuted the Christians. His persecution resulted in beatings, imprisonment, and even the death of those who followed Jesus.

In his own words, Paul executed a “raging fury against them,” (Acts 26:11) right up until the point he met Jesus for himself on the road leading to Damascus. At that moment, a decision was made to move his “yes” from seeking self-righteous power to pursuing Jesus-like servanthood. From self-serving to Kingdom honoring. From persecuting others to sacrificing for the good of others. When Paul met Jesus, he said “yes” to living a life defined by a purpose bigger than any worldly gain. As he recounts his story, notice that there was never an ounce of regret for saying “yes” to Jesus. In all of his pursuits, nothing was ever as sustaining and fulfilling as knowing his savior. “Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.” Philippians 3:8


More Questions:
• When you look at your daily rhythms what are you saying “yes” to that might be preventing you from experiencing Jesus fully?
• Do you need to say “no” to some good things so that you can say “yes” to the best things?


Prayer:
Lord, thank you that you never give up on us. Paul’s story is a reminder that we can never out sin your grace. Give us the wisdom and strength to say “yes” to your call today.


Author: Kyle Warren