Have you ever felt sorry for yourself and stewed in your
grumpiness because of unfair treatment that you have received? I’m ashamed to
say that I have. This is when the bible shows us it is not an old book with no
relevance for today, but a life-giving answer book for modern man.
Consider this: Paul and Silas, two Christian ministers, had
gone into a city to help people, to teach them about Jesus. Several women had
already been assisted, and one had been set free from a demonic possession. The
apostle’s efforts were not well received. Read:
Acts 16:22 And the multitude rose up together against them: and
the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them.
23 And when they had laid
many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep
them safely:
24 Who, having received
such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in
the stocks.
25 And at midnight Paul
and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.
Christians face trouble like everyone else, but it is how we
are enabled to respond to the trouble that makes us different.
“And the multitude rose up together against them…” Have you
ever felt like the world (the haters) are turning on you?
“The magistrates rent off their clothes…” Have you ever felt
humiliated? Embarassed? Stripped of your dignity and openly mocked?
“Commanded to beat them…” Have you ever been hurt,
physically or emotionally?
“Cast them into prison…” Have you ever felt like you have
been cast aside? Forgotten about?
“Thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast
in the stocks…” Have you ever felt like you are locked in to a situation with
no way to get out?
These experiences come to all of us in one form or another. Yet the response by Paul and Silas is the
dynamite that blows away the mountains of self-pity!
“At midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto
God and the prisoners heard them.”
In their dark hour, they prayed and praised God! This wasn’t
a meek quiet little tune, but one that was loud enough the other prisoners
heard them!
Today, instead of concentrating on all the dirty deeds done
to you, begin to pray and praise God and watch the chains of grumpiness and
sorrow fall to the ground!
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