Acts 20: "I consider my life worth nothing to me..." - the faith that puts God above life itself

"...I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me – the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace."

(Words of the Apostle Paul, Acts 20:24)

The scene is in Miletus, with the elders of the church in Ephesus (to whom Paul wrote the letter to the Ephesians).  Paul is coming to the end of what is known as his third missionary journey, and feels the Holy Spirit calling him to Jerusalem.  He has no idea what he is going to face there (it turns out to be arrest and lengthy trial and imprisonment), but says: "I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me" (Acts 20:23). The Holy Spirit has told him that he will never see these particular believers again, and he is spending time teaching them and building them up for the final time - charging them to stay true to the gospel and committing them to God's care.  And in explaining to them that he does not know what he will face in Jerusalem, he utters these very powerful words.

We know that Jesus laid aside his life, considering it nothing so that he could complete the task needed (that task being to die for the sins of the world.  Paul himself charges the Philippians to have the same mindset as Jesus in this way:

who, being in very nature God,
    did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
rather, he made himself nothing
    by taking the very nature of a servant,
    being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
    he humbled himself
    by becoming obedient to death –
    even death on a cross!
(Philippians 2:6-8)

And here Paul is doing the very same thing: laying aside his desires for his life, things that would be more likely to help protect his life, and even his life itself, to complete the task God has given him.  

It is not that his life is worth nothing - life is precious and given to us by God.  And yet in comparison, the task that God has given to make disciples in his name is even greater.  

It's a huge challenge - one we generally fail at as soon as we wake up.  From the big things to the small things, are we really willing to give it all to God, even if it means untold cost?  It's more that just trust, it's been willing to give this life over to him, with no guarantee of any reward before heaven, and faith that the saved people we meet there will make giving up this life worth it.  The cost will look different to different people - not all are martyrs or severely persecuted for their faith - but there will be a cost, even if just a financial one.

I am reminded of the story Jesus told of the widow's mite.  It's not just about the size of financial gifts.  The rich people who were making large offerings were doing so out of what they had spare, and this is how the world expects us to practise our faith.  Yes it's good to help other people and give to those less fortunate, but not to extent that we ourselves would go without.  Yes we should preach the gospel, but only when absolutely safe to do so and at no personal or reputational cost.  But the widow Jesus and his followers saw give everything that she had.

Can any of us say that we can echo Paul's words with absolute sincerity?  I know I can't - to really see my life and my goals of no importance, and be willing to give everything up to serve God if needed.  My prayer is that, through the grace of Jesus, God will give me the willing heart to do so as and when he requires, and that he will continue to remind me of the amazing reward that awaits - the joy of seeing him face to face, of people coming to know him, and eternal life.

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