Edited by Kay Beam
A few months ago I prepared a lesson
for the 4th and 5th grade students that I teach once a
month at church. This lesson that I was getting ready for was on Hebrews 12:2-3
which says:
2”fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer
and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross,
scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
3 Consider him who endured such
opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” (NIV)
Then I told them the story of Paul.
Paul’s name was not always Paul, and he was also not always the most popular
guy. When we first see Paul in the book of Acts his name is Saul, and he hates
the Christian people. Saul is heading to Damascus where he has permission to
arrest and bring followers of Jesus back and torture and kill them.
But on the way, a bright light blinded
him and he was carried to Damascus where he meets Ananias who restores his
sight. Saul then immediately starts preaching and proclaiming the good news of
Jesus (Acts 9:20). But the people did not buy into his change of heart so
quickly. So the people started to run him out of town after town. Then
something happens and Paul finds himself in jail. (For a complete look at the
beginning part of Paul’s story see Acts 7-9.)
Paul and Silas are now in Philippi on
their way to a place of prayer. They are being followed by a female slave who
can predict the future. She was telling all of the people what Paul and Silas
were doing. Finally, Paul grows annoyed with her and tells the spirit to leave
her. When the owners of the female slave find this out and that they can no
longer use her to make money, they have Paul and Silas seized, beaten and
thrown in jail inside an inner cell. (Read about this in Acts 16:16-24)
In spite of that, what do we see Paul
and Silas doing? They are praising God in the midst of their trouble.
25 About midnight Paul and Silas were
praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to
them. (Acts 16:25, NIV)
Even after all that Paul and Silas had
been through, they chose to praise Jesus. They were at the lowest they could
have been, and they still praised Jesus. They were locked in an inner cell,
chained and fastened in stocks, but they still praised Jesus. Not only were
they praising Jesus, the other prisoners were listening to them (I mean, they
were praising Jesus in jail, they were going to get attention.)(Acts 16:26-34)
It’s all about your FOCUS in the situation.
In reading this story and preparing for
that lesson, God gave me the picture below.
My wife helped me bring that picture to
life. It was not exactly what I had in mind. I had pictured it differently. But
my wife insisted that we do it this way. So we did and it turned out to be better
than what I had in my mind.
So I asked the students what they saw
when they looked at this poster board and at all three services I got the same
answer. Do you know what it was? Well, before I tell you, what do you see in
the picture above? The students answered at all three services with the word….
CHOAS! (And yes, they did shout!!)
Then I asked them another question;
what do you see in the middle? Now that is an easy question and they answered…
JESUS!! (And yes, they shouted again!)
I then told them that Jesus is with
them in the middle of our chaos. When we feel like life is out of control, and
we are being beaten by the waves of life, Jesus is right there in chaos with
us. I don’t know how you are feeling at this current moment as you read this.
But whatever you might be going through, Jesus is there with you. Jesus will
take you through the chaos to the other side, and you will be stronger. And as
I said, it’s about focus.
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