“About that time, serious trouble developed in Ephesus concerning the Way.”
Acts 19:23 (NLT)
The Way did not create trouble because it was weak. It created trouble because it was working. The message of the Lord was spreading widely and having a powerful effect in Ephesus, and that meant old systems were being exposed. Demetrius understood what was happening. If people stopped worshiping idols made by human hands, his business would suffer. His wealth, his influence, and the kingdom he had built were being threatened by the truth of Jesus.
Fear often reveals what our hope is in. The crowd was shouting, confused, and rushing into chaos, but underneath the noise was a deeper issue: their hope was in the wrong place. Their lives had been built around Artemis, their trade, their paycheck, and their pride. When the Way began changing lives, it did not threaten God’s kingdom. It threatened the shaky foundations they had trusted.
We are left with the same question. Are we all in on Jesus, or is Jesus just part of our way? Are we willing to let Him reorder what we have built, what we rely on, and what we worship with our time? The early church was not adding Jesus to an already full calendar. They were bought in to a whole new way of life, with Jesus at the center.
Our wealth does not come from money. True wealth comes from our relationship with Jesus Christ. Even our earthly provision comes from the Lord of heaven and earth, who gives us skills, abilities, jobs, and opportunities. So today, let’s get the order right. The Way is not threatened by the disruption it creates. But when the Way grows wider around us or deeper within us, it may expose where our hope really is. May we choose Jesus completely, not as another god on our shelf, but as our living hope.
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️