This is one of a series of Lenten devotionals I wrote for our church’s Foreign Missions Ministry and appears on their blog. However, I wanted to share it with you all…
Today’s Scripture Focus: Acts 16:1-3
Paul came to Derbe and then to Lystra, where a disciple named Timothy lived, whose mother was Jewish and a believer but whose father was a Greek. The believers at Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him. Paul wanted to take him along on the journey, so he circumcised him because of the Jews who lived in that area, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.
Today, we reflect on the fact that Lent not only calls us to give something up, but it reminds us to consider what we may gain. This is all the more important, because we may sometimes be called to a costly or painful sacrifice. Let us consider the example of the early church leader, Timothy.
Imagine you have been saved, and over time your gifts of leadership, prayer, teaching, and knowledge have brought you to the attention of a prominent leader in our church, say, Bishop Thomas. Imagine further that because the church culture is different from the one in what you have been raised, your mentor decides that people who know your background may find it an obstacle to their acceptance of you and willingness to advance or promote you. Your mentor knows that their requests or reservations are worthless, and may in fact be contrary to the doctrine held by church leaders and passed down by the Spirit of god, yet your mentor decides for the sake of unity and your ministry you must go along with what they are asking.
This is exactly what Timothy faced when Paul recruits him to the ministry in Acts 16. Timothy is a bi-racial young leader on the rise in the church at Lystra. Paul knows that Timothy will be an asset to the church and decides to train him. [We know that Paul’s judgment was right, as in I and II Timothy, Paul is writing a letter to Timothy at a distance to teach him how to be a bishop over several churches in his region, despite his youth.] Yet, Timothy is required to undergo the painful procedure of circumcision, despite the fact that Peter and other church fathers explicitly said that Gentiles did not have to undergo circumcision. The only reason he is doing this is to satisfy the Jews in the area, and ensure there are no further hindrances to Timothy’s development.
Has Jesus asked you to come alongside Him in a place where you will have to make a costly, but seemingly unnecessary sacrifice? Suppose God calls you to a community whose only church is a conservative church that does not allow women to preach or lead. Yet, you know beyond a shadow of a doubt that God has called you to minister to victims of human trafficking and domestic violence in that community. Will you hesitate because your position of leadership and authority will not be publicly affirmed?
Suppose God has expressly called you to be a witness to an influential CEO, and He has opened a door to you to be one of their VPs. However, the condition of the job is that you always be on call, available by email, available to be present in the office within 1 hour, and travel whenever the company requests. God will place you in this man or woman’s life in order to prepare for a later great move through this CEO’s influence and save many in their circle, but you are required to give up all of your time with your church and family until God says otherwise. Will you make this sacrifice for God?
A final example: Let’s say God wants you to work on a initiative for racial reconciliation, but the person recruiting you to the team has certain political values such as acceptance of gay marriage as a God-ordained lifestyle, abortion being unconditionally a woman’s personal judgment, or a belief that matters of faith should not be mentioned in public discourse. You know that God wants you to serve in order to be a light and influence for the kingdom, but you will be publicly associated with teachings openly hostile to your understanding of the teaching passed down by the church and the Holy Spirit.
Timothy was called to do something offensive, and to some, probably unnecessary. But he and his mentor, Paul, had Jesus and the Kingdom more prominent in their minds than their personal goals. While I have used examples that may come to pass in our cultural context, as missionaries we may be called to situations in which we are asked to make sacrifices much more costly or painful than these. Yet, Lent is a season to renew our relationship with God and fellowship with other believers so that we will be able to test and approve what God’s will is in every situation. We will hear His voice because we belong to God. And we will not be offended at what He calls us to do.