“And he stayed a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.” – Acts 18:11
Paul was typically a rambling man, a rolling stone who gathered no moss. However, when Jesus told him to stay put in Corinth, he stayed put. Jesus appeared and promised Paul that there were many people in that pagan city that were going to believe in Him and be made new creations by God’s grace through faith in Him. For this reason, Paul was to stay in the city, no matter what!
So Paul stayed for 18 months, constantly preaching and teaching God’s Word to the ever-growing flock of new disciples in that city. Even as opposition heated up, Paul stayed where he was because that’s where Jesus told him to be. One of Paul’s best traits is that when Jesus told him to go, Paul went and when Jesus told Paul to stay, he patiently stayed.
We can learn a lot from Paul’s example. By his faithful obedience to Christ’s will, Paul had an incredible and eternal impact on the world. How about you? Do you go when Jesus tells you to go or do you hold back, make excuses, negotiate, or wait for confirmation after confirmation? Do you stay when Jesus tells you to stay or do you become anxious to move on to something either new and different or old and familiar? Your greatest Kingdom impact will always be when you’re walking precisely in step with the Holy Spirit just like Paul did in Corinth. Are you? #FollowJesus