If you are remotely like me, you probably do not enjoy having your rhythm disrupted. You see, I am a very routine oriented person. I wake up, start my routine, and boom, I’m out the gate, getting things done. Recently, I have found that even though I may have my entire day all planned out, oftentimes a scenario like the following unfolds: I get up and begin my day, moving from one goal to the other. I’m feeling good about myself, because I’m sticking to my schedule and getting things done. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, I hear a voice…a female voice. It’s my wife, and the first three words I hear are, “Can you please…”. Here we go. Right when I was hitting my stride and making things happen, I have to change my agenda. Rhythm over. Day destroyed. Goals forgotten. My perfectly planned day has just been disrupted.
Now, this may come off as a tad bit dramatic, but the point I’m trying to make is that when you are in a loving relationship with someone, there are going to be disruptions. In a relationship, an individual is no longer able to only live for themselves and focus on their agenda. Changes have to be made. And, when it comes to the most important relationship we can ever have, a relationship with God, a complete transformation and renewal of the heart and mind, through the Holy Spirit, will have to be made. This is why the Gospel is considered so disruptive. It shows us how inadequate we all are. It teaches us that we cannot go through life relying on ourselves, because that will only lead to trouble. The Gospel calls us to die to ourselves and to put something bigger than ourselves above ourselves, which completely goes against our human nature.
Since the Gospel goes against the way of the world (1 Corinthians 1:18), there will be push-back when you go out and proclaim the gospel to others. You probably won’t be beaten up and thrown into prison like Paul and Silas in our Scripture passage from Sunday, but you may be laughed at and called names. Be prepared that many people will never accept the Gospel because they love the darkness rather than the light and just don’t want to change (John 3:19-21). Do not let that keep you from going out and spreading the Good News every chance you get, because there will be people open to that disruption in their current lives, and on the other side of that disruption is beauty, pleasure, and rest greater than anything we can fathom.
