While on holiday in Malta we were sitting having a coffee opposite the island where St Paul was shipwrecked on his way to Rome. A desolate place, yet a stopping off place for him. He must have considered what and where he was going to next?
We often find ourselves at those cross road situations in life, though probably not as dramatic as being shipwrecked like Paul.
The view of Saint Paul’s Island Malta from where we had our coffee
Looking across the sea, I thought ‘no man is an island‘ as in the classic poem by John Donne: ‘‘I am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the bells tolls; it tolls for thee.” Whether we like it or not we are involved in what is going on in the world. We can’t just sail away from it by surrounding ourselves with the familiarities and materialistic comforts of life such as TV, football, shopping, cars, holidays and the like.
Paul embraced the challenge of listening to God journeying on to Rome, writing to his friends and building relationships which formed the basis of how we got to know the good news about Jesus.
As we get older it is harder to see what God wants us to do and the part we have in His plans. Are we listening or are we in heard it before mode when we listen to this week’s sermon, church announcements or when we read the notices about what is happening?
Are we doing nothing or are we just turning up on auto-pilot?
We can sincerely pray and listen to the Holy Spirit and make commitment for the next task, getting closer to God and worshiping Him. We know in our hearts that ”We are not an island”, being wiser even though we sometimes fail, we know the Lord will give his blessing, anointing and ability to do the tasks required.
“For none of us lives to himself alone and none of us dies to himself alone.” Rom 14:7
“What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe–as the Lord has assigned to each his task.” 1Co 3:5
