Listen Patiently

DEVOTION

THE BOOK OF ACTS

LISTEN PATIENTLY

Acts 26:1-3

26:1 Then Agrippa said to Paul, "You have permission to speak for yourself." So Paul motioned with his hand and began his defense: 2 "King Agrippa, I consider myself fortunate to stand before you today as I make my defense against all the accusations of the Jews, 3 and especially so because you are well acquainted with all the Jewish customs and controversies. Therefore, I beg you to listen to me patiently.

NIV

Paul begins with the standard compliment, yet not really a compliment but the fact that Paul feels fortunate to be able to witness to King Agrippa. The only positive statement he makes about the king is that is he well acquainted with all the Jewish customs and controversies. Paul does not actually flatter Agrippa with a bunch of platitudes. But he does beg him to listen patiently. That is because Paul is going to tell a very long story, a complete defense of his actions based on his beliefs which the Jews want him killed for. This could be a clue to us in the form of a life lesson. Sometimes we simply response to what someone says and get into a discussion that begins to become more of an argument then a witness. Perhaps we have a clue here as to how we might avert such mayhem in our efforts to share the gospel with others. Maybe we could simply say something like Paul said. Maybe we could start out such as, “Friend, I consider myself fortunate to be with you today as I have something very important to speak with you about, especially because you are well acquainted with all the Christian customs and controversies, so I ask you to please listen to me patiently”. Then we could proceed, hopefully without interruptions, about our prior life and our conversion experience with Jesus. That is simply telling who we were and what happened to us that turned our life around. Later we will see Agrippa's response and what Paul says in return, but for now we should stay focused on this idea or method of sharing the message. First things first, telling the story of our life. There is nothing controversial about telling about our own life. Who can say this is not who we were and that what happened to us, did not happen? Although Paul was summoned before Festus and Agrippa and was asked to defend himself against the charges against him, we still can make a similar type approach. We might not be summoned to share our life story, but in the normal course of life, we encounter times when conversations have opportunities for us to start our discourse. Once again, that would be the time to make that previously stated introductive statement. If they are not willing to listen patiently then don’t bother, as it will become a debate or worst yet and argument which gains nothing but establishing a greater chasm then existed before. The key word here is asking them to listen patiently.