First of all, it felt soooooooo good to be back to teaching lessons again this evening! It's been a while with the missions trip and the summer fun activities and all.
We talked tonight about Publius, the chief official on the island Paul was shipwrecked on. He welcomed Paul and the others into his home and showed them generous hospitality for three days. That may not seem all that special until you read in the next verse that Publius' father was sick in bed with a fever and dysentery. And in case you didn't know, dysentery is a disease of the colon that causes severe abdominal pain and diahrrea! Now how awesome is it that Publius welcomed Paul and his friends into his home and was generous towards them for three days?
I tried to imagine myself in Publius' situation. I'm a chief official on an island, which means I have tons of things to do, places to go, people to oversee, documents to read and sign, etc... My elderly dad is in a bedroom down the hall moaning with severe abdominal pain. Tylenol or Pepto Bismol are not options yet, as they have not yet been invented. And neither have Depends, which makes the fact that he has severe diahrrea also very inconvenient for everyone in my household! And did I mention that dysentery is contagious? And no hand sanitizer! Yup!
Now these men who have been shipwrecked on my island show up. What would I do? Well, I'd like to think WWJD, but if I'm being honest, I would probably NOT do what Jesus would do. I would likely point them to the nearest inn, barn, vacant field, or neighbor's house and do so without much guilt due to my current predicament. I mean, come on people! I've got a contagious, moaning relative in my house and I'm up to my elbows in poop!
But no! Publius invites Paul and his friends in and shows them generous hospitality...for three days. I'll give myself some credit and say I may have conceded to allowing the visitors one night in my home. I may have even ordered a few pizzas on me or bought some slice 'n bake cookie dough or something. But three days?! Hospitality? Not likely! Not Publius though. It doesn't say he thought about it for a while before agreeing to let them stay. It doesn't say he sighed and threw his hands up in the air when they arrived. It says he WELCOMED them and showed them GENEROUS hospitality. He's my new hero...really.
So what can we learn from Publius? Besides incredible selflessness, he was not decorating his dining room and inviting all of his friends over for a pity party in his honor. Publius knew something few of us do. It's hard to be self-focused on your own problems and circumstances when you are ministering to others. In fact, ministering to others actually rejuvenates you and strengthens you to face your own problems again with a whole new perspective...an eternal perspective. Ministering to others in their time of need is the best medicine for your own set of problems and your attitude towards them.
And what was Publius' reward for his selflessness and hospitality? Read the second part of verse 8 again! Paul went in to see him and, after prayer, placed his hands on him and healed him. God rewarded Publius for his faithfulness to Paul and his friends by working through Paul to heal his father. How awesome is that?
So how can we keep that same eternal perspective when things around us seem to fall apart and are so difficult? We keep that eternal perspective. We don't look at the here and now of our circumstances. We get into and stay in God's Word. His promises to never leave or forsake us...to prosper us and not to harm us...to give us a hope and a future...and so many others will rejuvenate us and give us the strength we need to minister to others when we feel like we can't even take the next breath in our own lives. Trust God!
Psalm 40:2 - 2 He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.
Amen!!
For an example, we looked to Peter's experience walking on the water out to Jesus (Matthew 14:22-31). As long as he kept his eyes on Jesus, he was fine. As soon as he took his eyes off of Jesus and fixed them on his own scary circumstances and surroundings, down he went.
And you know....that required a science experiment! Did you know that you can run across a mixture of cornstarch and water without sinking? You can if you don't stop...if you keep your focus on what lies ahead and not on what's under your feet or behind you! Hmmm? Doesn't that sound familiar? Pressing on to what lies ahead and forgetting what lies behind...ahhh...another of Paul's gold nuggets of truth!
We ended the night doing our accountability notebooks because...you focus less on your own circumstances when you put your attention on someone else's and how you can help them.
We ended the night doing our accountability notebooks because...you focus less on your own circumstances when you put your attention on someone else's and how you can help them.
Did I already mention how good it was to be back to lessons again tonight? Thank you, thank you, thank you! I am so blessed to be your kids' teacher!
