Acts 17:16
“Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry.”
Have you ever had something that hits your hot button and stirs your spirit? Paul experienced this when he went to Athens. When he was brought to Athens, he saw the people given to idolatry. The whole city worshipped idols. Everywhere he went he saw these people who were devout in their idol worship. When he saw the people given to idolatry, it stirred him because he saw the need of the people.
The things that stir most Christians have nothing to do with God. As I travel, I see churches that are more stirred about buildings and money than about the things of God. Sadly, it is only when something personally affects us that we seem to get stirred. Somehow, Christians need to see things through the eyes of God, and if they would they would find their spirit would be stirred.
Let me ask you, what is it that stirs your spirit? Does truth being covered or a right being wronged stir your spirit? Paul saw that truth had been covered, and it stirred his spirit. When lies are allowed to be spread and truth is suppressed, it ought to stir your spirit. It ought to bother you when lies are allowed to be told as truth. It ought to bother you when truth is not allowed to be told. It ought to stir your spirit when leaders allow wrong to go on and right to be muffled. When truth is your love, then it will stir your spirit when it is not being proclaimed.
What stirs your spirit? Does seeing people live in sin stir your spirit? When Paul saw the people living in sin, it stirred his spirit. People living in sin should stir you. There ought to be something inside of you that stirs you when you see people doing wrong. I’m afraid we have become so accustomed to sin that we are not stirred when we see people living in it.
I ask you again, what stirs your spirit? Does it stir your spirit when you see that God is not lifted up? When Paul saw false gods being lifted up and not Jehovah God, it stirred his spirit. When you see anyone or anything being lifted higher than God, it should stir your spirit. It should bother you when men or institutions are regarded more than God. It should bother you when men are written about more than God. I’m not against being reminded of men whom God used in a great way, but let’s not forget the God who used them greatly. Let’s talk more of God than we do of men.
What stirs your spirit? Does it stir your spirit when you see people lost and on their way to Hell? It stirred Paul when he saw these people without an answer to their sin. You will notice that it wasn’t just the rich or the poor for whom he was concerned, but he was concerned with all the people. It should stir you when you see people who are not saved. It shouldn’t just be the poor for whom you are concerned, or the rich and middle class for whom you’re concerned, but you should be concerned for every person. Something should stir you when you see others in need of salvation.
Friend, these things should be a hot button inside of you. When you see these things, it should stir your spirit. You will never do much for Christ until your spirit is stirred. You will never reach people in abundance until your spirit is stirred. Ask God to allow you to see things through His eyes. It is only when you see things through the eyes of God that your spirit will be stirred.