God’s way will bring you to share your change of mind

Every day we’re asking four questions about part of the Bible. Today Bern Leckie answers:

What did I like about today’s passage?

The big thing God is doing with Paul takes some dramatic turns today. I love how much power and influence is being brought to Paul. He’s in prison, so he can’t go out to knock on doors anyway! But with Festus replacing Felix, who had detained Paul for years hoping for a bribe, things start moving fast.

Festus strikes me as a politician who knows the value of making friends, and wants to do this in a hurry in his new job. But I love how Paul knows that God didn’t bring him all that way to go back to Jerusalem. He’s heading for Rome with the gospel and a personal story to back it up, and Festus seems to be the man who can propel him there.

But this story Paul has to share, which is also his legal defence, is amazing. What I find most unusual about it is that most defendants would have lawyers who, above all else, would try to demonstrate their good character. Even if something bad happened, if a judge could see that as a regretful, one-time mistake, running against everything else a person consistently demonstrates in their life, they would judge leniently rather than conclude the defendant was a bad person. This only works with a picture of the defendant as solid, reliable and consistent.

However, Paul tells the story of his inconsistency, how he was wrong, and how God changed his mind. What sort of defence is that? It’s not a strong self-defence. It’s more of a confession, and if Paul has confessed to getting so much of his life’s understanding and practice wrong, why would any judge start to believe and accept him now?

The power of Paul’s true story is that it doesn’t point to his own goodness but to God and the way he changed Paul’s mind for good. I love how it then stands as a testimony, not to get Paul out of jail, but to change the minds of everyone else in jail, including the judges! And I love how Paul seems to know that this is his purpose, not to escape the justice system but let God move him all the way through it with mind-changing truth and life-changing prophetic power.

What did it show me about Father God, Jesus or the Holy Spirit?

God equips faithful followers for unimaginably difficult journeys like the one Paul endured on this ultimate mission trip. He does not leave people to struggle alone to come up with a decent self-defence, but keeps the promise that Jesus made in Luke 21:12-15 – “They will… put you in prison and you will be brought before kings and governors, and all on account of my name. And so you will bear testimony to me. But make up your mind not to worry beforehand about how you will defend yourself. For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict.” As a result, “you will win life.”

What am I going to do differently as a result?

I want God to use me to glorify him! But I’m aware that I get in the way sometimes, wanting to appear consistent and good, unwilling to confess weakness, mistakes or changes of mind. I need less self-defence and more testimony from and about him and how he changes me.

Who am I going to share this with?

I hope to have more chances to share and testify to our school community and leadership.