A Faith That Spreads Like Fire
“After they prayed, he place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.”
Acts 4:31
Imagine the perfect road trip. You pack your favorite snacks, make a skip-free playlist, map out the best places to stop, and invite a great group of friends to join you on the open road. With Rascal Flats singing something about life being a highway in the background, you merge onto the interstate full of optimism. Your hometown disappears into the distance and everything is perfect. Until you slam on the brakes.
“How long is this traffic jam? Can you please check your phone?” You ask your passenger seat co-pilot. They gulp when they show you a dark red line that’s as long as a twizzler. “Looks like the highway is closed,” they apologize. You are confronted with two options. One, you can complain. Two, you can get creative. Complaining is what most of us do. We slap the steering wheel while obsessing over the inconvenience. Creativity is where the fun happens. This is when you stop at a random diner, take a scenic backroad, or play a game with your friends. One leads to frustration; the other leads to fun.
Has your life ever felt like a road closure? This is where your perfect plan is uprooted by an obstacle. This is exactly what happened to Peter and John in the book of Acts. They were in the fast lane to world change. Thousands of people were receiving Jesus every single day. Miracles were unfolding. Crowds were growing. Churches were being established. Everything was perfect, until some soldiers showed up.
While preaching near the temple, a battalion of guards arrested them and threw them in jail. (Acts 4:3) While this would stop most people in their tracks, it actually encouraged Peter and John. They turned their trial into a church service. Standing before a judge and jury, they preached the gospel. This passage teaches that thousands came to know Jesus during this detour in their ministry. After they preached and prayed in the courts, Luke recounts that “the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly” (Acts 4:31). They met their barrier with boldness. Where most people saw an obstacle, they saw an opportunity.
The same is true for your life. What obstacles are you facing right now? What opportunities can God bring from them? With Jesus, obstacles are opportunities. Don’t complain, just get creative and watch God come through. Maybe God allowed those friendships to fade because He wanted better for you. Maybe God allowed your hardship because he wanted people to be encouraged by your reaction. Maybe God put that frustrating person in your life because He wants you to show them love. Maybe God is going to use that breakup to bring you to a breakthrough. Maybe your plan fell apart because God’s plan is better.
Where most people see an obstacle, God sees an opportunity.