When God Changes Our Assumptions: Lessons from Acts 11

 “So if God gave them the same gift He gave us who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could stand in God’s way?”

Acts 11:17

Dear Friends,

Change is something many people struggle with. We get settled in our ways and don’t like upsetting the apple cart with new, and sometimes uncomfortable, ideas. This is true in everyday life, but it is also true when it comes to spiritual matters.

Spiritual growth often begins when God changes our assumptions and teaches us to see things from His perspective rather than our own.

I tend to be one of those people who gets stuck in the status quo. I don’t like changing things, from protocols at my job to small details like the purse I carry. I enjoy the familiar comfort of keeping things the same.

Soon after moving into my farmhouse, I asked a friend to help me get things organized. Since decorating is not my forte, she helped me rearrange my décor to create a warm and welcoming atmosphere. We hung pictures and displayed some of my ruby-red glass collection on the old-fashioned mantel. I loved what she did, and more than twenty years later, my home still looks much the same as it did back then.

Why change what works? That’s often been my motto.

We Naturally Resist Change

As it turns out, I am not the only one who prefers things to stay the same. Some of the Jewish believers in Peter’s day felt much the same way.

When they heard that the Gentiles had received the Word of God, they bristled and criticized Peter when he arrived in Jerusalem. They were especially offended that he had entered the homes of uncircumcised men and eaten with them. This was a dramatic departure from what had been acceptable in the past. Jews and Gentiles simply did not mix socially.

Peter Faced Critics for Following God

Peter responded by carefully recounting the events that had led him to those Gentile homes.

He told them about the vision he received from God – a sheet descending from heaven filled with animals that Jewish law considered unclean. Three times he heard the command to kill and eat, and three times he resisted. Finally, the Lord instructed him not to call anything impure that God had made clean.

Just then, three Gentile men arrived at the house where Peter was staying. The Holy Spirit told him to go with them without hesitation because they had been sent by God.

Peter continued explaining how he accompanied the men and shared the gospel with a house full of Gentiles. As they listened, the Holy Spirit came upon them just as He had come upon the Jewish believers earlier. Peter then remembered the words of Jesus:

“John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”

When God Changes Our Assumptions

Peter’s concluding argument was simple and powerful:

“If God gave them the same gift He gave us who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could stand in God’s way?”

This was a clear example of when God changes our assumptions.

The Jewish believers had assumed that God’s blessings belonged primarily to them. But God was revealing a much larger plan – one that extended salvation to people from every nation, tribe, and tongue.

Peter’s critics were faced with a choice. They could cling to their traditions and assumptions, or they could accept what God was doing.

Thankfully, they chose the latter.

God Was Expanding Their Understanding

When the believers heard Peter’s testimony, they stopped arguing. Instead, they praised God, recognizing that He had granted repentance leading to life even to the Gentiles.

Although these Jewish believers eventually changed their minds about who could receive salvation, God’s will had never changed. From the beginning, His plan was to offer salvation to all who would call upon His name in faith—Jew and Gentile alike.

The change was not in God’s plan. The change was in their understanding.

Are There Mindsets We Need to Change?

While I will probably continue resisting certain changes in life – my décor may remain exactly where it is for years to come – I know there are mindsets that need continual adjustment. That is one reason a careful study of God’s Word is so important.

God’s ways are not our ways, and His thoughts are not our thoughts. As we open the Scriptures and seek Him in prayer, He often reveals areas where our assumptions need to change.

Sometimes we discover we’ve misunderstood His purposes. Sometimes we’ve adopted ideas that don’t align with His truth. Sometimes we’ve simply become comfortable with old ways of thinking.

But when God changes our assumptions, we discover that His plans are always better than our own.

Are there assumptions or attitudes that God may be asking you to reconsider today?

Spend some time in His Word this week and ask Him to reveal any areas where your thinking needs to align more closely with His truth. You may discover that change is not something to fear after all – it may be one of God’s greatest gifts for spiritual growth.

Love,

Mama

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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.