ENCOURAGE OTHERS AND THEN MOVE FORWARD
The following Scriptures are famous ones. Paul and Silas are beaten and put in prison. At about midnight, they sing and the prison walls fall. The jailer considers killing himself because he knows his life will be demanded for the escaped prisoners. But, Paul tells him not to worry because he and Silas are still there. Then, the jailer and his entire family gets saved! Join me in the Scriptures:
Ac 16:22The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten.
Ac 16:23After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully.
Ac 16:24Upon receiving such orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.
Ac 16:25About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.
Ac 16:26Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody’s chains came loose.
Ac 16:27The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped.
Ac 16:28But Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!”
Ac 16:29The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas.
Ac 16:30He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
Ac 16:31They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.”
Ac 16:32Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house.
Ac 16:33At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his family were baptized.
Ac 16:34The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole family.
Ac 16:35When it was daylight, the magistrates sent their officers to the jailer with the order: “Release those men.”
Ac 16:36The jailer told Paul, “The magistrates have ordered that you and Silas be released. Now you can leave. Go in peace.”
Ac 16:37But Paul said to the officers: “They beat us publicly without a trial, even though we are Roman citizens, and threw us into prison. And now do they want to get rid of us quietly? No! Let them come themselves and escort us out.”
Ac 16:38The officers reported this to the magistrates, and when they heard that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, they were alarmed.
Ac 16:39They came to appease them and escorted them from the prison, requesting them to leave the city.
Ac 16:40After Paul and Silas came out of the prison, they went to Lydia’s house, where they met with the brothers and encouraged them. Then they left.
I want to bring your attention to the close, Acts 16:40, “ … “After Paul and Silas came out of prison, they went to Lydia’s house, where they met with the brothers and encouraged then. Then they left.”
What astonishes me is that Paul and Silas were accused, beaten, thrown in prison, and then released. And, then they went and encouraged others.
After such a trial most of us would be sitting around licking our wounds or at least making sure our friends knew how bad the beatings hurt. At least, we’d be discussing the injustices of being thrown in prison without trial and beaten. The stand-out, take-to-heart lesson for me in this story is that Paul and Silas encouraged them, and then they left.
God calls us to put our troubles aside in order that we could encourage others. I notice, however, that we are often tempted to stay stuck in a prison of continually talking about our trials. Don’t we avoid people that do this though? I believe that it is often the trial that gives us passion to help others (because we have been beaten in some ways in this life and in need of help and encouragement ourselves), but I am continually amazed at the awareness upon which the Word tells us to focus (on God not ourselves).
Further, I am aware that the world tells us it’s “all about me.” Paul and Silas knew that it was not all about them, and we are encouraged to do the same. Let us encourage one another to focus, not on the trial but on The One who gets us through the trial, because in so doing we will be encouraged and we will be an encouragement. Let us all move forward to encourage others. In this way, we will all be made steadfast, strong, and refreshed.
Ac 16:40After Paul and Silas came out of the prison, they went to Lydia’s house, where they met with the brothers and encouraged them. Then they left.
Kristina Seymour loves to encourage and equip women through the Word and through community. She is the author of The Warrior Mom Handbook, The Warrior Mom Leadership Manual, and The Warrior Wife Handbook; they are available at Amazon.com. Kristina's Bible studies are for women who desire to live by faith in the midst of their everyday lives. She has learned that women can't survive on caffeine and animal crackers alone; women in the Word and in community are united and able to stand firm. To learn more about Kristina, please visit her website, https://kristinaseymour.com/. God loves to share His story of love and grace through us all, and Kristina believes that everyone has a story to tell.
Originally published Tuesday, 01 May 2018.
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