When you're doing right and everything goes wrong
“A mob quickly formed against Paul and Silas, and the city officials ordered them stripped and beaten with wooden rods. They were severely beaten, and then they were thrown into prison. The jailer was ordered to make sure they didn’t escape. So the jailer put them into the inner dungeon and clamped their feet in the stocks.”
Acts 16:22-24
If you are unfamiliar with the story of Paul and Silas being beaten and jailed for doing the right thing (according to God’s standards), then let me break it down for you real quick.
Paul was a missionary who spread the gospel and committed many years of his life to strengthening the early churches after the death of Jesus. One day he was traveling with his companions Luke, Silas and Timothy. One day when Paul and Silas were on their way to prayer, a girl who was possessed by a spirit of divination was following them, chanting “These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation.” (Acts 16:16-17).
After a few days of this, Paul grew very annoyed by this Spirit and finally decided to cast it out using the authority he had in Jesus Christ (Acts 16:18). Now, this was good for the girl because she was finally free from the demon that possessed her. However, this was not good for the people who “owned” her and were using her demon-controlled powers of fortune-telling to make money. They were very mad that Paul did this because they were making money from her “gift.”
To give this story some context, Paul and Silas were easily thrown into jail because they were jews practicing jewish customs in a Roman culture. Paul casting out the demon in the name of Jesus did not sit right with the people of this city. (verses 20-22). Because of this, Paul and his companion Silas were reported to the authorities and thrown into prison. Not only were they thrown into prison, but they were also stripped, beaten severely and then thrown into prison.
Although in this day and age we can freely rebuke spirits under the authority of Jesus Christ without punishment, we can still relate to this story as Christians. A lot of times, we will be attacked more by the enemy when we keep doing what is right in the eyes of God. When we choose to love, to forgive, to hope and to praise God in the midst of our storms and trials, the enemy is upset. He wants our trials and tests to cause us to lose hope and faith in our Father.
I am not saying it will be easy, but keep doing what is right in the sight of God. Do not look for validation or reward from anyone. Keep pressing towards the goodness of the Lord. God will reward you for this - “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” (Hebrews 11:6).
A great example of this is in the very same story we are talking about. After Paul and Silas were thrown into jail, they began to praise God! (Acts 16:25). They praised God after being thrown into jail. That is powerful! They did not wait until after they were released to praise God. They praised Him while they were locked up and after!
The journey to praise
Now, don’t feel bad if you have not gotten to a place where you praise God through every season - good or bad. None of us are consistent 100% of the time, we all fall short of the glory. However, it is possible to be like Paul and Silas and learn to praise God even in our worst situations. If they can do it surely we can. The Holy Spirit is here to help us.
I used to be the type of believer that was swayed by my feelings. I used to make impulsive, irrational decisions. I used to be so confused and my judgment so clouded. I used to feel all over the place and let my feelings dictate my decisions. Thank the Lord I am not this way anymore! God freed me from this. If you are still struggling with your feelings leading your life, don’t be discouraged. God is here to help you and love you. He is not waiting for you to praise Him to love you. He is patient, kind, merciful and very gracious. Keep pursuing a relationship with Him and spending time with Him. He will help you to become anchored in His truth.
Being anchored in God’s truth is the key to praising Him through every situation. As humans, our feelings will always be changing. Instead of spending energy trying to control how you feel, focus on allowing God’s truth to take root in your heart. Then your feelings will naturally change as your thoughts change. Still, do not depend on your feelings to guide or validate your walk with God.
Like Paul and Silas, you can be doing everything right and feel so wrong. You could also be doing everything wrong and feel so right. Feelings are deceiving. Look to God’s word for the truth. Meditate, journal, and rehearse His truth over and over until you believe it. Speak it and read it until it is louder than your feelings. Practice makes perfect and the more you make the deliberate choice to feed your spirit over your flesh, the more you will start to see that God’s truth supersedes any feelings that come and go.
I believe in you, but more importantly, God believes in you. Keep fighting the good fight (1 Timothy 6:12). I promise your breakthrough is coming. Pray this prayer below as many times as you need to. You will find yourself starting to praise God even when everything is falling apart.
Lord, help me to meditate on your law day and night. I thank you that your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. Help me to praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made! Help me to praise you because praise is a weapon. Increase my appetite to read your word and spend time in your presence. Help me to love you with all of my heart, mind and soul. Thank you for loving me. I praise and worship you, forever and ever. In Jesus’ name, amen.