Persuaded by Love

"So when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, "The will of the Lord be done."

Acts 21:14

Luke and the believers who spoke with Paul in Caesarea demonstrated wisdom and grace believers today ought to embrace.  A prophet named Agabus had come from Judea and Acts 21:11-12 tells us, "When he had come to us, he took Paul's belt, bound his own hands and feet, and said, "Thus says the Holy Spirit, 'So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man who owns this belt, and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.'"  Understandably this revelation by the prophet was of great concern to Luke and fellow believers who loved and cared for Paul.  Why stubbornly persist in going to Jerusalem for the feast if bonds awaited you?

While it makes sense to avoid being arrested and sent to prison, remember how Jesus also set His face like a flint to go up to Jerusalem knowing what awaited Him there.  Paul was willing not only to be bound but to die for Jesus, so the threat of arrest and imprisonment was of small consequence.  Based on the protests of his fellow believers and friends Paul could have changed his mind, but he didn't.  And when they saw Paul's mind was made up, they stopped speaking to him on the subject and committed him and his future into the LORD's sovereign hands.

Whether you find yourself in the position of Luke (one trying to convince someone to change their mind) or a Paul (the one with a mind already made up) or an Agabus (one who has insight from the LORD), it is good for us to consider our motives in having robust discussions with others who are not in agreement.  When embittered Naomi decided to head back to Bethlehem, she told Ruth to return to her people.  Ruth 1:18 says, "When she saw that she was determined to go with her, she stopped speaking to her."  Luke had the freedom and well-being of Paul in mind, yet it is possible Naomi was in such a negative state she couldn't care less.  Regardless, Naomi picked up on Ruth's determination to accompany her and ended the discussion.

The ability to communicate remotely using phones, texts and emails have hindered our ability to pick up on social cues.  With the best intentions, we can be forceful in expressing our opinions to the point others do not feel the freedom to express disagreement--which may or may not be true.  This lack of honest dialogue can embolden one to keep pushing to make their points when both minds have already been made up.  Key takeaways for me from this passage is Holy Spirit-filled believers will not always agree with each other, and there is a time when it is appropriate to cease discussion over controversial subjects as we commit each other to the LORD's care.  Luke, Paul and the brethren remained brethren and friends, even though Paul went up to Jerusalem.

We would love to be conquerors of error and be proved correct when debates and discussions arise, but our victory does not come from convincing others to see things our way:  we are more than conquerors through Jesus who loves us.  Paul wrote in Romans 8:38-39, "For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, ³⁹ nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."  Disagreements about travel plans or other things cannot separate us from the love of God, and thus we ought to walk in it ourselves and offer it to others always.