WEDNESDAY

Acts 9:17-30

Perhaps you have heard the saying, “Living to fight another day.” Sometimes discernment means knowing when to stay, when to step back, and when to move on. While we’re not advocating fighting or gambling, these phrases point to an important truth: wise discernment often matters more than we wish it did. Jesus put it this way: “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore, be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves” (Matthew 10:16). Sometimes, if we have the luxury of choice, we also have to think carefully about “choosing the hill you want to die on.” In today’s Scripture, we meet Paul shortly after his dramatic conversion. The community he once belonged to now wanted him dead, while the Christian community struggled to trust him. As a result, Paul had to escape in baskets lowered over walls and be sent to safer places so his ministry could continue.

Paul’s story reminds us that remaining faithful in difficult situations is not always straightforward. Discerning the best way forward—without compromising our beliefs or creating unnecessary conflict that cuts ministry short— can be challenging. This becomes even more complicated if we naturally avoid risk or, on the other hand, tend toward a martyr complex. Perhaps that is why prayer, reflection, the counsel of wise friends, and keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus are so important when circumstances are far from ideal. (And sometimes, some good therapy and wise support can help too.) As you reflect on Paul’s experience as a new believer navigating an unsafe world, consider the following:

• What parts of Paul’s experience do you most easily identify with? What parts do you identify with the least?

• Are there areas in your life where you are facing similar dynamics, unsure of what the best way forward is? What do you f ind here that is helpful to you?

• What are some things that have been helpful to you when it comes to living in response to Jesus in a world, and sometimes maybe even a church community, that is not always as supportive as you might wish?

• What do you sense is behind the hostility we sometimes face? What are some ways that we could more fully reflect the character of Jesus that might lower the temperature and open the way for better dialogue?

• What is helpful to you when it comes to deciding when it is best to walk away and when to stand your ground?

• Do you live more with a sense of God’s graciousness or a sense of anxiety when it comes to working through situations that seem unclear to you? Why do you think you tend to gravitate more to one or the other?

Take a few moments to share with God in prayer what is on your heart as you reflect on today’s passage.