Young man, it's time to move

In Acts 16:1-12 we have the story of Paul and Silas on a missionary journey.

Compared to the rest of Acts, this narrative seems a little dull. There are no shocking miracles; no devilish opposition; and no riots. It contains, however, some good lessons on decision-making, and these are badly needed, especially for the younger folks around us. We’ll talk about one such lesson.

Not everyone grew up with wise parents who taught them how to govern their lives or make important choices. Even fewer have that in our day.

I think especially of the rough spot our young men are in. In a lot of places, they’re bad guys just because they’re guys. They can’t win. The models for manhood that are broadcast to them are either vicious and deadly, or weak and worthless.

This is made worse by the fact that our churches don’t seem to be interested in addressing this, and so the task of teaching boys to be men falls to half-converted pagans with podcasts.

Not surprisingly, these podcasts are wildly popular, as men are hungry for answers. The heroes in our text are men of action. They made a plan and started doing it. In certain places within Christianity, this is heretical.

Supposedly, the spiritual man should wait until God decides to speak directly and give instructions. You can’t move until you hear from God.

That’s not what the apostles did. They took steps and depended on God’s blessing. What allowed them to do this was an understanding of the overarching plan of God. They had already received Christ’s “permission” to go and baptize the nations. So they went, in the manner that made sense to them. They modified their plan as it became plain that changes were needed.

It sounds cartoonish, but I’ve known a Christian who could not do something as simple as eat a bowl of cereal until she felt like she had heard God tell her which cereal to choose. Not surprisingly, you couldn’t count on her to do anything.

In theological terms, we call this sort of person a nut. I’ve lost track of the number of people I’ve counseled with who were terrified of “missing the will of God for their lives” by making a wrong life-choice. They wanted some way, external to themselves (the more visible the better) of knowing which job to take, or where to live. They were paralyzed by the fear of getting it wrong.

Young man, God has given you gifts and abilities that are unique to you. He’s given you the basic commands to love God and serve your neighbors. You may not, and probably won’t, hear more from him directly about that. He’s not going to whisper a business plan or course schedule into your ear.

Pursue the career you’re passionate about, that makes the best use of your talents. Seek God’s blessing on your actions. Collect wise counselors. Remain open to the possibility that the plan might need to change. Connect with a church that will support you.

The genuine man is the one who takes action to fulfill his destiny under the Lord. Therefore, consider inactivity your enemy and fight it with valor.

Gordan Runyan is the pastor of Immanuel Baptist Church in Tucumcari. Contact him at:

[email protected]