Embracing the Goads

The New Testament book of Acts, in chapter 26, recounts the Apostle Paul’s appearance before King Agrippa.  Paul had been arrested in Jerusalem by Roman soldiers due to a riot prompted by certain Jewish leaders who were opposed to Paul.  Paul was then sent to Caesarea to stand trial before the Roman governor Festus with whom King Agrippa was visiting.  In recounting to Agrippa and Festus his dramatic and life-changing encounter with the risen Christ, Paul retells the words of Jesus spoken to him from heaven, which were given in response to Paul’s question of ‘who are you Lord’: “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.” A goad was a rod likely made of wood used to prod farming animals [esp. oxen, or cattle] to start or keep moving in a certain direction.  By using this term Jesus appears to be saying that Paul [his successor name to Saul] was being prodded by some things or someone to go in a certain direction but was apparently resisting [i.e. ‘kicking against the goad’].  What were those goads in Paul’s life? Perhaps the prodding was taking place in Paul’s conscience.  Paul’s witnessed the death of the first martyr Stephen while being stoned, and hearing him utter those stinging words: “Lord, do not hold this sin against them” [Acts 7:60]. The text then says Saul was in ‘hearty agreement with putting him [Stephen] to death’ [Acts 8:1] and thereafter Saul began ‘ravaging the church, entering house after house, and dragging off men and women, to put them in prison’ [Acts 8:3].

In Paul’s letter to his mentee, Timothy, he recounts his understanding of Christ choosing him as a servant: “I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service, even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor.  Yet I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief” [I Tim 1:12-13].  Even though Paul resisted the prodding/goading of Jesus to embrace faith in Him, he later says that his delay in believing was being used to demonstrate Christ’s ‘perfect patience’ toward others who may someday believe in Jesus [see I Tim 1:16].

Our life experiences and the words or behavior of others may well ‘goad’ us toward personal faith in Jesus.  Those experiences and words may also spur us on towards accepting, even embracing difficult circumstances, including those we cannot readily modify or eliminate, to bring about certain needed changes in our character.

Embracing Thorny Goads

Paul recounts a thorny circumstance which God allowed or perhaps even caused to come into his life, to keep him from becoming proud and ‘exalting’ himself [II Cor 12: 7-10].   Paul does not state specifically what the ‘thorn’ was and commentators have conjectured that perhaps it was a physical malady, or perhaps something else harassing Paul.    He prayed [‘implored’ meaning begged] three times that the thorn would leave him.  In essence God’s answer was ‘No’ and with the no, came a very valuable explanation: “And He has said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for [My] power is perfected in [your] weakness.’ [Paul responded to this explanation with these words]: Most gladly therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore, I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.”  The Lord was saying to Paul: My enabling power is more fully and clearly displayed and therefore seen by others including you Paul, when I can demonstrate it via your weaknesses and difficulties you face.  Paul is stunned by this revelation, so stunned that he explains that he has decided to embrace the goads-those weaknesses within himself as well as oppositional circumstances since he now understands that God will use all such things to demonstrate His enabling power in Paul’s life.

It seems to me, that we would be very wise to also embrace those chronic irritants, including people, and see them as divine tools to shape our character as well as creating a staging ground for God to display His power and wonder in our life.  Others may then come to observe in awe the marvelous things God has and is doing within us.

Each of us is likely facing some negative or very difficult experience.  It may be a loss of our health, a ‘goading’ relationship at work, or with a difficult child, even a spouse suffering a chronic disease- the kinds of relationships, or circumstances that simply do not seem fixable. Our first child was born with a very rare genetic disorder causing multiple mental and physical issues.  It has taken many years, decades even for me to see his condition as a ‘goad’ to be welcomed and embraced so that many needed changes can be done by God in my life and character. I have had difficulty seeing and peacefully accepting my son’s condition as a veiled opportunity for God to display His great mercy and power within my life.  His success in doing so, will depend on my responsive attitude toward that particular ‘goad.’  We can ‘kick against the goads’, or we can accept them, even embrace and welcome them, as did Paul, and adapt our life accordingly.  You will then be the recipient of God’s enabling power, His grace, and become even more of a divinely focused demonstration of it to a watching world.

Ready to embrace your ‘goads’?

“Why do you call me Lord, Lord and do not do what I say?” [Luke 6:46]

CJS