March 31, 2011 - Acts 17:22

“Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: ‘Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious.’” Acts 17:22. Upon arriving in Athens, Paul was distressed by the number of gods and idols the Athenians worshipped. As he was debating with some of the philosophers of the city, they realized that Paul was talking of a foreign, unknown god. They encouraged Paul to come with them to the Areopagus, which was the place where the philosophers gathered to debate and discuss religious and moral issues. During the meeting, Paul stood up to speak and began with a positive statement that these Athenians were very religious in every aspect of their lives. This was a high compliment to this gathering and it paved the way for Paul to gain their full attention. Without compromising his beliefs, Paul built a platform of acceptance from which he proclaimed the good news of Jesus and his resurrection. Paul had a history of boldly stirring up crowds, yet here in Athens, he spoke in an appealing way so as to win the right to be heard with his audience. It seems that he learned a lesson in understanding the people he was speaking to. There have been times when I have come across in an abrasive way, which would sound judgmental or angry or both. What I thought was speaking with passion was perceived by my audience as something all together different. I actually had someone come to me to apologize for being a disappointment to me after one of my talks. As a result of not understanding my audience, I have been attempting to discover how to communicate in a loving way without loosing my passion. Questions to consider: When relating to people, whether giving a message or just talking, how do you think you come across to them? Does it matter to you how you come across? Should it? What can you do to understand your audience better? Prayer: Father, help me to learn how to communicate in a loving manner, yet with the passion You’ve given me. Help me to win the right to be heard with my audience, whether that be one person or many. Amen.