Turn to the Living God: When Wrong Thinking Keeps Us From the Truth

 “Friends, why are you doing this? We too are only human, like you. We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made the heavens and the earth and the sea and everything in them.” (NIV)

Acts 14:15

Dear Friends,

Often people become so ingrained in a certain way of thinking that they can’t or won’t shift their mindset. Our beliefs shape our thinking and affect how we interpret what we experience, even when evidence points elsewhere. When our underlying beliefs are wrong, our conclusions and actions can also be wrong. This becomes especially important when our beliefs keep us from recognizing the truth and turning to the living God.

When Wrong Thinking Causes Problems

Many years ago, when I was a new elementary teacher, I participated in the school’s track and field day. I was assigned to start and stop the clock for the relay races. I was told to click the stopwatch when I saw the smoke from the gun—not when I heard the shot. But somehow I couldn’t get it into my head why this was necessary.

Apparently, I hadn’t learned the scientific truth that light travels faster than sound. My inability to shift my thinking kept causing problems with the participants’ times. Nothing changed until I humbly realized and admitted my error, then corrected it.

My errant thinking about light and sound created problems for a bunch of elementary students. But compared to mankind’s wrong thinking about God and spiritual things, it was relatively trivial.

When Our Thinking About God Becomes Darkened

Paul tells us in Romans that although God made the truth about Himself—His eternal power and divine nature—plain to all people through His creation, humans chose to suppress the truth by their wickedness. Although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him. Because of this unwillingness to worship God, their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.

This inability to think clearly affects all mankind, and we see it over and over again throughout the Bible. Despite clear and powerful evidence, people still refuse to turn to the living God. Instead they disregard the truth about Him and themselves.

Acts 14 records an example of this futile thinking and darkness of mind.

Paul and Barnabas continued traveling and sharing the gospel message in each new town they visited. They spoke boldly, and the Lord confirmed the message of His grace by enabling them to perform signs and wonders.

When they reached the town of Lystra, they came across a man who had been lame from birth. The man listened as Paul spoke. Paul, seeing that he had faith to be healed, looked directly at him and called out for him to stand on his feet. The man needed no other prodding. He immediately jumped up and began to walk.

Seeing God’s Power but Missing the Truth

This was a sign and wonder from God that affirmed the message of His grace. But rather than turn to the living God, the crowds attributed the miracle to their own gods. They mistakenly believed that Paul and Barnabas were gods who had come down to them in human form.

They called Barnabas Zeus and Paul Hermes because Paul was the chief speaker. In great excitement and wonder, the pagan priest brought bulls and wreaths to offer sacrifices to the men they believed were gods.

This misplaced worship horrified Paul and Barnabas. They tore their clothes, rushed into the crowd, and tried to correct the people’s thinking.

Turn to the Living God

“Friends, why are you doing this? We too are only human, like you. We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made the heavens and the earth and the sea and everything in them.”

They explained that in the past God had allowed the nations to go their own way. Yet He had not left Himself without testimony. In His grace, God had continued showing kindness by giving them rain for their crops, food for their tables, and joy in their hearts through the everyday blessings of life.

Despite Paul and Barnabas’s attempts to point to God as the Giver of all good things—including the miraculous healing of the man born lame—they still had difficulty keeping the crowds from sacrificing to them.

Soon some Jews from Antioch and Iconium arrived and won the crowd over.

In a startling display of fickleness, the crowd turned on Paul, stoned him, and dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead. But after the disciples gathered around him, Paul got up and went back into the city.

Sadly, for the citizens of Lystra, Paul and Barnabas departed the next day and traveled to the neighboring city of Derbe.

What a tragedy to see God’s power but miss the truth!

Two Responses to the Truth

This account highlights two responses to the truth and is a warning for us:

The crowds heard the message and saw the sign of healing but interpreted it through their own beliefs.

The lame man heard God’s message, responded in faith, and experienced God’s power.

It takes humility to admit we are wrong. We tend to hold tightly to what we have always believed and don’t want to change. Just because I thought I should start the stopwatch when I heard the gunshot didn’t change the fact that light travels faster than sound. I had to admit I was wrong, change my thinking, and act accordingly.

In a similar manner, our thoughts about God and His ways must line up with what He says is true. The gospel reveals the righteousness of God—a righteousness that is by faith. It is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes (Romans 1:16–17).

A darkened mind interprets God according to what it already believes.

Faith receives the truth God has revealed.

Where is your mind stuck in wrong thinking about God and His ways?

Turn from worthless things and turn to the living God. Hear the good news, repent, and believe.

Love,

Mama

This reflection is part of my Walking Through the Book of Acts devotional series, where we explore the early church, the work of the Holy Spirit, and what it means to follow God with courage and faith.