Put Me in Coach!

Acts 22:22

“The crowd listened to Paul until he said this.  Then they raised their voices and shouted, “Rid the earth of him!  He’s not fit to live!”

I am proud I was born in Texas. Why? Because Texas is one of the only states that was once its own country, and being a Texan has some bravado attached to it. I am sure people born in other states have the same chest-out expressions about where they were born. The point is that where you were born is a big deal. It gives you roots and a background, whether they are wanted or not. Take those born into slavery or an abusive family. They may not have the same bravado, but the roots still exist.

Paul was born in the Roman province of Cilicia, in a town named Tarsus. This is key to his survival in Jerusalem. He was raised in Jerusalem, though, and was a Pharisee of Pharisees, a teacher of the law. While in Jerusalem, Paul visited the temple, and some of the Jews from his hometown recognized him. They spread the news that Paul was bringing Greeks into the temple, defiling it. The one time I would think you do not need this kind of attention, it happens, and it comes from your hometown crowd.

Fast forward, Paul gets into a bunch of trouble with the Sanhedrin, who were made up of both Pharisees and Sadducees. The Sadducees were the lawyers, while the Pharisees were the teachers of the law and believed in angels and spirits. Paul, being a Pharisee, plays this card, and the Sanhedrin goes into an uproar. The Roman guard takes Paul away, fearing for his life, and prepares to flog him. Just as the flogging was about to begin, Paul asked if it was legal to do this to a Roman citizen who had not been charged with anything. The flogging stops, and Paul is taken away. If it were not for his Roman citizenship, Paul would have been flogged and most likely killed that day. Sometimes your past saves you.

In the middle of the action, we do not always think wisely. I have said it before: one does not always rise to the occasion but often falls to the level of their training. Paul, having been around the block in many other towns while running for his life, learned how to stay cool under pressure. It was this calmness that got him out of what could have been a certain death situation.

If you are a Christian, you are bought and paid for. Christ died for you! You are not your own, but rather a bondservant of the Lord Jesus Christ, and your assignment is to do the will of the Father. Your training ground gets tougher every day because Christ wants you to be ready in season and out of season, prepared to defend the faith. You put on the armor of God in Ephesians not only to protect yourself from the fiery darts of the evil one but also to kick some devil butt, to take back the ground the enemy has stolen.

Paul was ready when the time came and used the quick wit God gave him. Your past is not a thorn or a blemish but rather something God can use. After a football game back in the day, my pads and uniform were always super dirty, but I felt great because the pads protected me, and I used them to dish out some punishment that I could not have if I had not been wearing them. The Holy Spirit is your football pads for life. Every piece of equipment given, every past lesson, every shortcoming, every issue, all of it is part of the uniform God is using for His Kingdom. Suit up and get on the field. It is time to dish it out! Do not sit on the sidelines with your helmet off, wondering if you will play. Put it on, get ready, and tell the Coach to put you in.

Prayer: Father, help me realize that everything I have been through, my past, my shortcomings, and my disappointments, can all be used for Your glory because they are part of my testimony. I pray that I would use all of it for Your glory. In Jesus’ name, amen.