Acts 16:29-32
When the jailer asks Paul and Silas, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
(v. 30) Paul tells him to believe in the Lord Jesus and that he and his whole household will be saved. This seems really presumptuous to me when I read it. It goes against the idea that a relationship with God should be a choice each person makes. Yet, I admit that this thinking affirms a level of individualism in me that better reflects American culture than Christianity.
Thinking about the people and communities that have shaped and continue to nurture my faith challenges that focus on individualism. Even though I entered the waters of baptism as an individual, so many people along the way were a part of nurturing that decision.
Maybe when the jailer comes home that night, his family immediately notices that something is different about him. Maybe his whole being has shifted in such a way that this inspires his whole household to be saved. Maybe it takes just one person in a household who begins to live their life a little differently to spark a curiosity of faith in others. Maybe it takes someone living with more patience. More generosity. More kindness. More joy. More attention toward others. More love.
Why wouldn’t that affect a whole household?
Consider
When you think back on your faith journey, who was a part of your
“spiritual household?” Who are the people today you may be influencing and inspiring in their faith journey?
Pray
God, thank you for the relationships that inspire me and show me how to follow you more closely. Amen.