Vitamin Ministry

The last chapter of Acts describes what appears to be the descent of Paul's magnificent ministry. After traveling his world for years, suddenly, this man found himself housebound, in Rome, under the watchful eye of his own personal guard.

I imagine him chafing at the monotony of a single house, a single city, a single view from a single window ... for months. I imagine him dreaming of the sea, the harbor, the long, twisting trails of his past. Perhaps he lay awake at night, remembering the churches he planted, praying for the people he might never see again.

Perhaps, just like me, he wondered why God would ground him just when he felt so on fire. What had he done? And what could he do now? Like me, maybe Paul felt punished, forgotten, unneeded, unused.

Maybe. But I doubt it. All this speculation steps on the toes of what God's word clearly states. Long before he reached Rome, Paul knew God intended him to reach the Gentiles there. He pressed on toward this goal, cheerfully enduring shipwreck, stranding, and several public trials in the process. And while he pursued opportunities to preach at until the last minute, Paul seems to have settled in nicely to the routine of house arrest in his old Roman world.

Paul, after all, was perfectly poised to proselytize Rome. Being a Jew, yet possessing a Roman citizenship, Paul represented God's ideal messenger to this place. After his years of itinerant work, and with increased Jewish hostility towards the message of Christ, God settled Paul safely in his hometown and limited his scope to the safe-guarded scope of his own home. Undoubtedly, this provided a more intimate form of ministry than before. No longer addressing crowds, Paul faced however many people his house could hold. No longer free to travel, he devoted more time to writing.

Thus, rather than derailing the ministry of this man, God set His sovereignty upon it. I want you to sit, I can almost hear Him say as Paul paced his narrow confines. I want you to settle. Invest. Open your home. I picture God bringing just the right people, each day, to stop by, while Paul waited, and watched, in wonder.

Yes, Paul kept his commission from Christ. But rather than traveling to reach out to others, God helped his target group reach out to him. It must have been humbling to learn just how effective ministry could be, when Paul could do nothing but sit. No more striving, planning, walking, mapping, and praying about where to go. Instead, a calm reliance on his Savior to send needy souls to his home.

"For the next two years," writes the author of Acts, "Paul lived in Rome at his own expense. He welcomed all who visited him, boldly proclaiming the Kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ. And no one tried to stop him." (Acts 28:30-31)

Derailed ministry? Not a chance. These words paint a portrait a man on God's mission, whether housebound or free. Paul's persistence - and patient submission - inspire my own passion to accept God's perfect plan, regardless of what He might ask. Wherever God asks me to stay. Whenever He asks me to go. I'll obey, settling in gladly to a plan that provides His best for both me and the people I so long to serve.

Yes, ministry has a meaning, to be sure. But Paul's life encourages me to broaden that meaning to include everything from a sitting in a prison cell to speaking before crowds and kings. Ministry means only one thing: Spreading God's glory in precisely the way He commands, day by day. Paul's life provides a multifaceted example of this surrendered service. I pray that mine will, as well.