A MATTER OF FOCUS
Then Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. There he became acquainted with a Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, who had recently arrived from Italy with his wife, Priscilla. They had left Italy when Claudius Caesar deported all Jews from Rome. Paul lived and worked with them, for they were tentmakers just as he was.
Acts 18:1-3 (NLT)
My good seminary friend, Bill Murray (not the movie star, but a pastor), used to remind me that while the world is interested in the somebodies, God is interested in the nobodies. The world is captivated by wealth, power and influence. God tells us to keep our eyes on the poor, the widow, the orphan, the needy and those who don't hold impressive positions.
One of the couples I most look forward to meeting in heaven is Aquila and Priscilla. As far as we know, they never wrote a book or preached a sermon. Paul does not refer to them with an official church title, and Scripture says nothing about their wealth or social standing. Yet Paul mentions them six times in four New Testament books. God clearly wants us to learn from their lives.
We first meet them in Acts 18. Emperor Claudius had expelled the Jews from Rome, forcing Aquila and Priscilla to leave behind their home, their business and the life they had built. Travel in those days was expensive, exhausting and dangerous. They had every reason to become discouraged or bitter. Instead, they chose to focus on what God was doing rather than on what they had lost.
When Paul arrived in Corinth, they welcomed him into their home and business. They didn't simply become friends. They invited him to live and work with them, making their home the ministry headquarters for Paul's mission in Corinth. I doubt they realized how significantly God would use their ordinary acts of faithfulness. God delights to accomplish extraordinary Kingdom work through ordinary believers who simply make themselves available. Aquila and Priscilla were faithful where God planted them. They viewed their work as worship and their home as a tool for ministry.
APPLICATION: Your day job is not separate from your calling. Unexpected moves, hardships and interruptions may be God's providence. Instead of dwelling on what you've lost, ask God how He wants to use you right where you are. You don't have to be famous to make an eternal impact.
PRAYER: Father, help me see every circumstance as an opportunity to serve You. Give me a willing heart, an open home and faithful hands. Use my work, my relationships and my everyday life to point others to Christ. Amen.
"… Our Father in heaven…" Matthew 6:9b (NLT)
• What do You want to say to me today as my Father?
"… may your name be kept holy." Matthew 6:9c (NLT)
• What do You want to reveal to me about Your power today?
"May your Kingdom come soon." Matthew 6:10a (NLT)
• Help me make Your priorities my priorities today.
"Give us today the food we need," Matthew 6:11 (NLT)
• Is there anything specific You want me to do with my time or the people I'm around today?
"and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us" Matthew 6:12 (NLT)
• Reveal to me anyone I need to forgive or ask for forgiveness.
"And don’t let us yield to temptation…" Matthew 6:13a (NLT)
• Is there anywhere I'm vulnerable to temptation?