Fumbling through Acts

In reading through the Acts this morning, I was again impressed by how much time Paul and the other disciples spent communicating the good news. There were a couple instances where Paul worked as a tent maker, but the majority of his time was spent traveling and talking with people. There were times when God had allowed Paul to be under house arrest, which afforded him the time to do little else. Was that coincidental? I don’t think it was.

This is encouraging to me. I often feel led to take the time to stop and talk with people, especially to encourage them in their journey. Sometimes this is at the sake of some tasks that I am supposed to complete. Like many people, I often struggle with knowing that I am using my time most effectively. As a leader, I know that I should be focusing on those things that only I can do and providing those around me with opportunities to exercise their talents. This is not always easy when there doesn’t appear to be anyone around me willing to take on a certain task. There is always more work than time and resources to complete the work. So, like many I struggle to effectively prioritize. Reading in the Acts this morning spoke to me. The one thing I know I am meant to do, more than anything, is encourage and continually pour myself into those that I work with. This needs to be a higher priority than completing tasks for me. When I do this, I feel like I am following Gods plan for my life and that feels right. Though I wish for these insights and decisions to be easy, that doesn’t seem to be the way God works with me! Someday I hope to understand why.