Acts 20:13-24: a reflection

13But we, going ahead to the ship, set sail for Assos, intending to take Paul aboard there; for he had so arranged, intending himself to go by land. 14When he met us at Assos, we took him aboard and came to Mitylene. 15Sailing from there, we came the following day opposite Chios. The next day we touched at Samos and stayed at Trogyllium, and the day after we came to Miletus. 16For Paul had determined to sail past Ephesus, that he might not have to spend time in Asia; for he was hastening, if it were possible for him, to be in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost. 17From Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called to himself the elders of the assembly. 18When they had come to him, he said to them, “You yourselves know, from the first day that I set foot in Asia, how I was with you all the time, 19serving the Lord with all humility, with many tears, and with trials which happened to me by the plots of the Jews; 20how I didn’t shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, teaching you publicly and from house to house, 21testifying both to Jews and to Greeks repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus. 22Now, behold, I go bound by the Spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there; 23except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions wait for me. 24But these things don’t count; nor do I hold my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to fully testify to the Good News of the grace of God.

As Paul journeys toward Jerusalem, knowing that hardship and imprisonment await him there, he declares that he counts his own life as nothing next to finishing the course and the ministry God has given him. I go bound by the Spirit to Jerusalem, he says, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies that bonds and afflictions await me. But these things don't count; nor do I hold my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus. Paul held the finishing of his God-given task above his own comfort and even his own life; his supreme concern was to complete the ministry Christ had given him, to finish the race, whatever it cost. This shows the devotion of holding our God-given calling above even our own life. Paul held finishing his ministry above his own life. The goal of finishing our God-given task can outweigh our own comfort. Paul counted his life as nothing beside finishing the race. Devotion holds the God-given calling above self.

Notice what Paul held supreme, and what he counted as little. He was going to Jerusalem knowing that bonds and afflictions awaited him; hardship, imprisonment, perhaps death. And yet he says these things do not count with him, nor does he hold even his own life dear, if only he may finish his race and complete the ministry Christ gave him. His supreme concern was not his own safety, comfort, or even survival, but the completion of the task, the finishing of the course, the fulfilling of the ministry entrusted to him by the Lord Jesus. This is a striking devotion. Paul had found something worth more to him than his own life: the God-given calling to testify to the gospel of grace. And he was willing to give everything, even his life, to finish it. This challenges and inspires us. We can hold our own comfort, safety, and life as supreme, unwilling to risk them for anything. But Paul held his God-given calling higher, counting his life as nothing beside finishing the race and the ministry Christ had given him. There is a goal worth living and dying for: the completion of what God has given us to do. To hold our God-given calling above even our own comfort and life, and to long to finish the race, is a devotion worth having. Finishing our God-given task can be worth more than our own comfort. Hold what God has given you to do above your own safety and life. Long to finish the race and complete the ministry Christ gives. There is a calling worth living and dying to fulfill.

That is worth taking to heart, for there is a devotion that holds our God-given calling above even our own comfort and life, longing to finish the race and complete the ministry Christ gives, as Paul counted his life as nothing beside finishing his course. We can hold our own comfort, safety, and life as supreme, unwilling to risk them; but Paul, going to Jerusalem knowing bonds and afflictions awaited him, said these did not count and he did not hold his life dear, if only he might finish his race and ministry. There is a calling worth everything. Hold your God-given calling above your own comfort and life; long to finish the race Christ has given you. Hold your God-given calling above even your own comfort and life, longing to finish the race and complete the ministry Christ has given you, as Paul, journeying to Jerusalem knowing that bonds and afflictions awaited him, declared that these things did not count with him and that he did not hold his own life dear to himself, if only he might finish his race with joy and the ministry he had received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God; for Paul held the finishing of his God-given task above his own safety, comfort, and even survival, having found in the calling to testify to the gospel something worth more to him than his own life, and was willing to give everything, even his life, to finish it, which challenges and inspires us, since we can hold our own comfort, safety, and life as supreme, unwilling to risk them for anything, but there is a goal worth living and dying for, the completion of what God has given us to do, so that to hold our God-given calling above even our own comfort and life, and to long to finish the race, is a devotion worth having.

Lord, as Paul journeys toward Jerusalem, knowing that hardship and imprisonment await him there, he declares that he counts his own life as nothing next to finishing the course and the ministry you have given him. I go bound by the Spirit to Jerusalem, he says, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies that bonds and afflictions await me. But these things don't count; nor do I hold my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus. Paul held the finishing of his God-given task above his own comfort and even his own life; his supreme concern was to complete the ministry Christ had given him, whatever it cost. This shows the devotion of holding my God-given calling above even my own life. Show me what Paul held supreme, and what he counted as little. He was going to Jerusalem knowing that bonds and afflictions awaited him. And yet he says these things do not count with him, nor does he hold even his own life dear, if only he may finish his race and complete the ministry you gave him. His supreme concern was not his own safety or survival, but the completion of the task entrusted to him by you. This is a striking devotion. Paul had found something worth more to him than his own life: the God-given calling to testify to the gospel of grace. This challenges and inspires me. I can hold my own comfort, safety, and life as supreme, unwilling to risk them for anything. But Paul held his God-given calling higher. There is a goal worth living and dying for: the completion of what you have given me to do. Take that to my heart, for there is a devotion that holds my God-given calling above even my own comfort and life. Help me hold the calling you have given me above my own safety and comfort, Lord, longing to finish the race and complete the ministry you give me, counting even my life as nothing beside fulfilling what you have called me to, as Paul did.