by: Dr. Allen Domelle
Acts 19:21
“After these things were ended, Paul purposed in the spirit, when he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, saying, After I have been there, I must also see Rome.”
When reading about Christians in the Scriptures, we must always remember that they are still human. As great as the Apostle Paul was, he still made mistakes from which we can learn. Yes, God used him greatly throughout his ministry, but like all Christians, he made a few mistakes that the LORD allowed us to see so we can learn from them.
One of the mistakes he made is found in the verse above. Paul was so determined to go to Jerusalem for the annual feast that his whole ministry was detoured. Three times in the Book of Acts, Paul didn’t do something because he was “purposed in spirit…to go to Jerusalem.” His determination caused him to leave Ephesus early in Acts 18. In the verse above, his determination caused him to send others to do his work. His determination caused him to miss helping the Ephesian elders to continue to grow in the faith. His determination was so stubborn that He wouldn’t listen to the Holy Spirit’s warning by Agabus. His determination was so stubbornly strong that it caused him to detour.
There is nothing wrong with being determined. In fact, it would greatly help Christianity if Christians would become more determined to serve and please the LORD. However, you cannot allow your stubbornness to control your determination because it will cause you to detour. When your flesh controls your determination, it will lead you down the wrong pathway. What your flesh wants to do may not be bad in and of itself, but if what you are determined to do is not what the LORD wants you to do, your good that you do in the flesh becomes wrong.
Let me caution you always to let the Scriptures be the guide that controls your determination. Yes, it is good to be determined, but make sure that the Scriptures keeps your determination in check. If Paul had allowed the Scriptures to guide his determination, he would have known that it was wrong for him to take a Jewish vow. The Scriptures must always be the hand that controls the reigns of your determination.
Moreover, a deaf determination keeps you from hearing God’s warnings that deter you from harm. Don’t become so determined that you won’t listen to those who warn you. You are walking down a dangerous road when nobody can tell you what to do. Go ahead and be a determined Christian, but listen to the voices of warning that the Holy Spirit brings across your path. When someone warns you, be open in spirit to listen to see if your determination is detouring you from the Scriptures.
Furthermore, a misguided determination always keeps you from seeing what God could have done through you. We will never know what God could have done through the Apostle Paul because of his misguided determination. Remember that misguided determination will detour you from God’s original purpose for your life. God’s original purpose is where you will be used the greatest. Certainly, God will still use you, but misguided determination causes you to miss God’s greatest opportunities for your life. Stay determined, but done be stubbornly determined. Stubborn determination blinds and deafens your ability to see and hear God’s warnings when you are wrong.