This is not what we thought

     Sometimes we jump to conclusions and, impressed with what we saw or heard or experienced, we come to the wrong decision and miss the boat.  Paul and Barnabas in Acts fled to Lystra and Derbe where they proclaimed the Good News.  In sharing the healing power found in the mercy of God and announced by the Good News, Paul and Barnabas gained instant notoriety.  They were the new rock stars of the day, the Lycoanian idols, the heroes and super stars.  So much so that the locals thought for sure that the gods had come to visit.  They called Barnabas "Zeus" (the father of the gods) and Paul they called "Hermes" (the voice and spokesman of God).  They were hailed by the people and sacrifice was offered to them.

     To say that Paul and Barnabas were shocked and beside themselves is an understatement.  Satisfying as it is to momentarily have the accolades, they knew that those accolades were misplaced.  Their power came from the God who shared his Son, Jesus, with them.  In fact, it was in the Name of Jesus that these good things happened.  It took everything they had to turn the crowds attention to the Lord.

     In these moments of instant gratification, of our fifteen minutes in the limelight, in the attention getting experiences of life, we need to be deeply rooted in who we are and what we have been given; in why we have been so gifted and have our words and actions focused upon the Risen Lord.  We may find those around us saying ... "this is not what we thought - not what we expected", but we will be able to point them in the right direction.  Or, we can be caught up in the glory of the moment.  May Wisdom guide us.