He lived there two whole years at his own expense,
and welcomed all who came to him, proclaimingthe kingdom of God and teaching about the
Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance. (ESV)
These are the
last words in the New Testament about Paul.
The life of one of the most important people in establishing our faith
ends with these words. Think of them as
his obituary or epitaph.
We always want
to get the last word in a conversation.
The last word is the summary, the definitive statement. If you know anything about Paul, then these
verses in Acts seem entirely appropriate.
After his conversion, every act of his life was about proclaiming the
gospel with boldness. You probably know
where this is going.
What would the
final statement on your life say? It is
true that we each have our own calling and that not everyone is meant to do
things the way Paul did them. Yet
sharing the good news of Jesus is what we are all about. How we go about it is unique to each person,
but that we go about it is not up for question.
Would the essence, if not the exact words, of these verses be
appropriate to describe your life?
Father, of all
the accolades and awards in my life, the one I truly care about is hearing You
say to me, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” Help me to do all and only that which You
would have me do. Give me the grace and
strength to live the life You want me to live.
In the name of Jesus, Who with You and the Holy Spirit reigns as Lord of
all, amen.
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