“And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” Colossians 3:17
The smooth stone skipped lightly across the pond leaving beautiful rings of ripples in the water each time it gently kissed the water’s surface. My sisters and I clapped, loudly cheering Daddy’s rock skipping skills. Best Rock Skipper Ever!!
It was our turn. Daddy would patiently inspect the rock that we had selected, making certain it was up to the task. He would correct our stance to ensure proper positioning on the lake’s bank. He showed us how to securely hold the smooth stone without clutching it too tightly. Then he would demonstrate the arm motion that would send the rock skipping.
Invariably in our eagerness to see our stones create rings of ripples, all stance, form, hold technique, and smooth arm motion were forgotten. We watched as our rocks managed to gain a little height, form an arc, and then belly flop into the water a short distance from the shore. We made ripples alright, but honestly, they were kind of ugly.
“That’s okay. That’s okay, try it again!” Daddy would encourage us. And we would try again…and again…and again. Once in a while, one of us would get the stone to skip and we were ecstatic. Encouraged that if one could do it, surely we all would eventually succeed. We wanted to make our own ripples.
The Apostle Paul was a man that made ripples wherever he went.
Before his conversion, Saul (Paul’s Jewish name) left in his zealous wake the ugly aftermath of persecution. Christians were imprisoned, their families torn apart, lives and homes were destroyed, Christ followers went underground to meet and worship, and other believers fled to less hostile surrounding countries. (Acts 9:1-2, 13-14)
Wherever Saul went, by the time he left people knew that Saul had been there. Ugly Ripples.
After his conversion on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:3-9), Saul continued to make ripples. The gospel of Jesus Christ was taken to the Gentiles and the ripples were life changing. The chains of sin were broken as people accepted Jesus, lives were changed, the sick were healed, cripples walked, demons were cast out, jailers converted, churches built, the dead were brought back to life, and the powerful rulers of the time, including Caesar, heard the salvation story of Jesus. Beautiful ripples that revealed the grace and mercy of God’s salvation.
God used Paul to write thirteen of the twenty-seven books of the New Testament. The ripple effect of those epistles is immeasurable. Countless numbers of people have come to know Christ as their Savior through the Spirit-breathed words written in the book of Romans and in other writings by Paul. Beautiful ripples.
Some of the ripples Paul generated made life difficult for him: his preaching, teaching, and his writings exposed the hypocrisy of the religious elite, it laid bare the lies of false teachers, and revealed the emptiness of false gods, it stirred up riots and protesters, it even economically crippled the makers and peddlers of idols. Ripples caused by the Truth.
Paul understood that to be a ripple maker, one had to “be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.” Putting “on the whole armor of God, that you might be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.” (Ephesians 6:10, 11)
Wherever Paul went, people knew that he had been there. He always left ripples.
Did you know that you are a ripple maker? For ill or for good, your life has a ripple effect on those around you. All that you say or do has an impact on someone. Your life touches others.
Paul’s ripples were dramatic – for the bad in his pre-conversion days, and for the great good of the Gospel and the Church after his conversion. Whether your ripples are small or great, good or bad, depends on many things, but in large part, it depends on how committed – how surrendered – you are to the person of Jesus Christ, your Lord and your God.
The larger the stone that is thrown, the larger the ripples that are generated. If all you ever throw are tiny pebbles, your ripples will always be small.
When Jesus died for you, He didn’t die for just a small part of you – He died for ALL of you – your whole self. And that is exactly what He wants from you – all of you. Your whole self. He wants you to give yourself fully – nothing held back.
Pick up the large stone, then bravely take position and throw your stone into the waters. Remember that ripples can have eternal consequences.
“Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” 1 Corinthians 15:58 (NIV)