“The assembly was in confusion: Some were shouting one thing, some another. Most of the people did not even know why they were there.” (Acts 19:32NIV)
Those were the words Luke used in describing a situation he witnessed while he and some others were staying and ministering in Ephesus with Paul. As the account goes, Paul had been in Ephesus for about three years or so, preaching the good news of Jesus Christ and seeing many lives being remarkably transformed. In fact, his ministry in this city and the other surrounding cities was so effective that many who had been involved in the practice of witchcraft and sorcery gave up their magic books to be burnt and totally turned away from the devil to serve the living God. (Cf. Acts 19:18-20)
Now, while all these things were happening, while Paul and his companions were ministering in Ephesus in the power of the Spirit of God, certain people’s businesses were being terribly affected because of what they were doing, even though they did not deliberately set out to harm those businesses. One of them was a silversmith named Demetrius. This man, according to Luke, was like a big contractor in the business of idol carving. So, he used to bring in a lot of money for the craftsmen and other people in related trades in the land. (Cf. Acts 19:23-24)
But when many people in Ephesus and in practically all the surrounding cities began to turn away from idolatry, his business began to suffer terribly. And the reason was obvious. People were no longer making household idols as they used to, for the truth about idols had dawned on them. So, all the craftsmen that had been living off their ignorance began to run out of business. They never expected such a day to come. But it came.
Perhaps you too need to anticipate and prepare for the coming of a day in which your current business may not thrive again because of the elimination of some measure of ignorance in the world. As we all know, because of the employment of technology and Artificial Intelligence (AI) in many organisations and businesses today, there are people that have become jobless. And there will still be more whose skills today will surely become irrelevant in years to come. Such people need to face the reality about what is coming and begin to acquire new knowledge and skills that will ensure that they continue to be relevant and needed by men. Otherwise, the kind of frustration that will eventually come upon them may be the kind that will send them to early graves.
Demetrius and his folks never thought a day would come when many of the people in their land would give up on idols and start using their money for things that are meaningful and profitable. But God brought that day upon them. And that got them seriously frustrated. So frustrated were they that they started a protest in the city and even took it to the theatre, so that the city officials would be aware of their frustration. (Cf. Acts 19:24-31)
Unfortunately, as Luke points out to us in our opening bible text, most of the people that were brought into this silly protest and led to be chanting ‘Great is the Diana of the Ephesians’ for about two hours did not even know what it was all about. In other words, they simply joined in the nonsense because they saw others joining. They did not ask questions to know why the protest was happening or whether it was of any benefit to them. They just joined. And it was after the city clerk had addressed them and pointed out the error of the protest that it became clear to them that they had wasted their time and energy on nothing. (Cf. Acts 19:33-41)
What is the point of this? It is that it is easy to be misled by a multitude. When many people are involved in something, the temptation to also join in doing it is often great. But both the word of God and history have shown us that the multitude does not always go in the right direction. Therefore, we must never be in a hurry to join any multitude to do anything or to go anywhere. Otherwise, the result may be calamitous.
See, if we are going to do something, it should not be because many people are doing it but because we know why we need to do it. And if we are going to be somewhere, it should not be because many people are going there or are there but because we know why we have to be there. Otherwise, we may end up wasting our time, energy and devotion on things that will never profit us and then become frustrated in life.
And there are many whose lives are bearing a testimony to this sort of waste and frustration. They went to school not because they knew what they would do with the education they wanted to receive but because everyone around them was going to school. Or they got into certain businesses not because they knew what to do with them but because many around them went into those businesses. And now they have become so frustrated that they are probably contemplating suicide. But whose fault is that? Thiers!
Well, if that is your situation at the moment, you don’t need to kill yourself or run away from home or further ruin your life with hard drugs or drunkenness. You just need to turn your life over to Jesus. He is able to heal you, guide you into what is best for you and also end your frustration. What, then, are you waiting for? Reach out to us now, and we will show you how to receive Him into your life and get your life back in shape.
Cheers!
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