Remembering Our Role

Scripture Text: Acts 5:17-42

A great amount of time is spent debating about what and who is right in our world. When we begin to look to the church we find no real difference in the discourse. Each perspective that presents their view is convinced of their being right and that any other opinion on the topic is wrong. In this midst of this there are a great number of human driven perspectives being presented as God's perspective.

Perhaps it is time to learn from one of the lesser known characters from the early years of the church. Gamaliel offered words of wisdom as the high council, all the religious people of the day were ready to have the Apostles killed. Essentially the message is to let God sort these matters out. If what is happening among the followers of Jesus is only driven by humans it will die on its own. If it is driven by God, there is nothing that can stop it.

Our human tendency is to exchange roles with God. We take on the role of determining right and wrong, what is just and unjust, who counts more in the kingdom of heaven than others, or who receives grace and who does not. These are all the work of God and not people. Our role is to follow after God, through Jesus Christ, with all our heart, mind, soul and strength. Yet we desire to have God follow us as we make the decisions.

This not only happens in the life of the church. Unfortunately this happens in a marriage just as easily. As a married couple pursues their hopes and dreams it is easy to lose sight of who is God and who is the follower. In the end we begin to live our marriage in a way that asks God to bless whatever we are doing instead of seeking to do what it is God longs for us to do.

Whether in the church or in a marriage the key to remembering our role is to walk with humility and submission. Those are two words that have become strange to our world, yet we must reclaim them if we are going to cultivate the life and marriage God longs for us to live. We must be humble to remember this journey is not about us. We must submit to God and trust that God knows best how our lives are to be lived.

In both cases this will mean letting those around us live their life in a way that is different than we think should be lived. Even when we are convinced God is on our side. It would be of benefit to all of us if we were to heed the words of Gamaliel, if it is of human origin it will fail, if it is of God it cannot be stopped, and we might find ourselves fighting against God.