Iron sharpens Iron

I had a friend text me this morning asking about a passage she was reading in the Bible.  She wasn't asking me because I have some super spiritual insight, but because she knows I have a good commentary that I can reference.  : )  I love this for several reasons.

1.  I love that I have a friend who is really digging into the Word and wanting to examine it, study it, and apply it to her life.

2.  I love that I have a friend who thinks nothing of texting first thing in the morning :), because she has already been in her Bible.

3.  I love that I have a friend who loves talking about things of God, but also texts me about working out, hair products, cute clothes, homeschooling, etc.

4.  I love having a friend who helped me take a second look at a story I read a few weeks ago, and caused me to really meditate on it and look at it deeper. 

I'm not sure if this sound strange to some of you, but I had so much fun texting back and forth with her several times discussing our thoughts on this passage.  So much so, that my eggs began to burn because I was distracted (in a good way). : )

I have lived in Tallahassee for almost 14 years and I feel so blessed to have several close girlfriends with whom I can get encouragement, share my heart, ask for prayer, and grow in the Lord with.  What a wonderful gift from the Lord!

This story that my friend was talking about is in Acts 7, and it is about the stoning of Stephen.  Oh, what a powerful story, and one that I'm sure I could camp on for weeks and continue to receive insight about. 

There are a few things that immediately stuck out to me about this story.  One has to do with the actual stoning.  I think about how as Christians we may not be hit with actual rocks, but there are times when "stones" are thrown.  It can be someone making fun of you for your beliefs, it can involve being excluded from a group because you don't "fit in", it can be getting a reprimand at school or at work because you said the name of Jesus, or any number of things.  Some stones hurt worse than others.  In our apologetics course this week, our instructor shared a quote by C.S. Lewis that I wrote down.  (As much as I could because it was long!)  Here's part of it.

"One of the greatest difficulties is to keep before the audiences mind the question of Faith.  They always think you are recommending Christianity not because it is true, but because it is good.

 

One must keep on pointing out that Christianity is a statement which, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance.  The one thing it cannot be is moderately important."

 

That really makes me think.  Are the stones worth it?  Absolutely.  Are they painful?  Most of the time.  But, as this quote was shared, there were different faces that popped into my mind.  Faces of people I care about that don't know the Lord.  I know that Christianity is real and true.  How do I know?  Because it is confirmed deep down in my soul, and I have witnessed God work in my life and the lives of those around me.

 

Steven lost his life.  He was murdered sharing the Gospel.  It's hard to even think I can compare my "stones" to the ones that were thrown at him, and that's not what I'm trying to do.  What I am trying to say is that obedience to the Lord is what brings complete peace and joy and purpose.  So, no matter what comes at me, I desire to keep my eyes looking up, and not around. 

 

But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to Heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.  "Look," he said, "I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God."

Acts 7:54-55

This was right before he was stoned.

 

I care too much what people think about me.  I always have, and it has been a struggle for me.  I want to get to the point where if God urges me to share the Gospel with someone I will do it, regardless of the "cost", because as C.S. Lewis said, if Christianity is true, it is of infinite importance.

 

I won't go into it now, but if you continue reading you will see that the people persecuting Stephen laid their clothes at the feet of a young man.  This man was there giving approval to his death.  This man persecuted many Christians.  This man was Saul....who soon would be known as Paul, who wrote much of the New Testament. 

 

Is there someone in your life that you have given up on?  You think there's no way they will ever receive Christ?  Read Saul/Paul's story and be greatly encouraged.  His story is one of such a powerful transformation that there should be no one in whom we give up on. With God "all things are possible!"

 

Here's Knox's favorite praise song to encourage us all that nothing is impossible with our Lord.  Amen.