January 7, 2010 - Acts 11:5

“’I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision.’” Acts 11:5.
Peter had returned to Jerusalem after being directly involved with a Gentile household that subsequently became followers of Jesus. Peter’s fellow believers in Jerusalem had not previously had any experience with Gentiles becoming followers of Jesus, and they were not certain that this was permissible, and so confronted Peter. Peter began his explanation by recounting how God had spoken to him in a vision. It is almost as if Peter was saying, “I was in prayer minding my own business when God put me into a trance and gave me this vision. I couldn’t help it.” He was put into a position where he had to justify his actions, and he did so by patiently retelling each detail of his amazing story and by explaining it truthfully.
There are times when, in an attempt to justify my actions, I am tempted to build a story that ends up making me look good. In other words, I am tempted to lie. When I read of Peter’s response to his brothers, I sense that Peter is not withholding any of the facts from the story, nor is he embellishing it. He is telling the story as completely as he experienced it. I am challenged to do the same in my life – to tell a story, particularly of God’s movement and activity, without embellishment or exaggeration. The challenge is to state the facts as they are and to let them stand on their own merit.
Questions to consider: Have you ever been tempted to change a story of God’s activity in your life in order to make you appear better than was really the case? How does it make you feel when you know that someone is embellishing a story for whatever reason?
Prayer: Father, help me to say “Yes” to speaking the truth, no matter how bad it may make me appear. Help me to always speak the truth, seasoned with Your love. Amen.