How do you decide to stay, when escape to freedom is so possible?

By Dean Collins

Are you a big picture person, or do you prefer the details and all the particulars? The answer depends on your personality type. I am definitely a big picture person. I am in my sweet spot when I can cast vision and create broad strategy. Then it’s best if I disappear so others on the team can work out the details.

But when I read Acts 16, I’m puzzled by the lack of details. Luke sets up a great escape story, but then there is no escape. Paul and the other prisoners simply stay put. It seems logical that if you have been mistreated, beaten, and then placed in bondage, you would take a chance to be free if it was given to you. But Paul and Silas, along with many other prisoners who were strangers to them, simply stayed in jail when they had a chance to escape.

Singing

There are many unusual behaviors in this story. My guess is that if we were together and were falsely accused, beaten, and put in jail, our instant reaction wouldn’t be to sing hymns. We would want to talk to our lawyer, and God would just have to wait. We could pray and sing later, while the lawyer did his work to get us out. And if we couldn’t reach our attorney and had to pick a song to sing, it would probably be more of a lament than a song of praise.

About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God. We are neither told the contents of their prayers or their song selection. But the tone of the story doesn’t necessarily lead us to believe their focus was on escaping from prison. Their focus was on God. I don’t know about you, but I’ll admit that many of my prayers are focused on me and what I need.

Maybe they prayed the Lord’s Prayer. If they did, then their focus would have been first on God and his Kingdom. And in time the prayer would get around to deliverance from evil. They were certainly in prison because others had treated them with evil intent.

Staying

In the middle of their worship, God broke the chains off Paul and all of the prisoners around him. When we come into the presence of God in prayer and worship, we are set free. What an amazing moment to experience your chains being broken. Paul and Silas were free to run, but they chose to stay. Immediately their focus was on the panicked jailer.

Who cares about the one who unfairly locks you up? For one, Jesus does. And since Paul and Silas were committed to Jesus, those Jesus cares for are the ones they chose to care for as well. The jailer was bound in fear. He would be seen as a failure if the prisoners escaped, so instead of suffering the inevitable consequences, he decided simply to take his own life. Paul quickly and with compassion stopped him and gave assurance that no one had escaped even though there was opportunity to do so.

While we all might be looking for escape from something, what if God sometimes calls us to stay put and serve those around us instead of watching us run to the next opportunity? Staying put might be where God wants you today. Staying dependent on him and attentive to the needs of others around you might be today’s assignment.

Salvation

The result of Paul staying put was the salvation of the jailer and his family. While we are not told, I suspect we can assume that some other prisoners found forgiveness and salvation in this story as well.

Paul’s act of kindness didn’t prevent his being set free from jail. It resulted in an apology and his freedom. Law enforcement wanted Paul to leave the city immediately, but even with that directive, Paul’s attention went to another recent convert, Lydia. After he encouraged her and the other believers, he went on his way.

Service

There are always details we don’t know and understand. In Scripture and in life we are not not always privy to everything we wish we could see and understand. But what we see in this story is an example of faithfulness to God and service to others being more important than simply running from discomfort when we get a chance. Obedience to Christ will always lead us to service to others.

Your time with God’s Word
‭‭Acts‬ ‭16:22-40‬ ‭ESV

Photo by Hennie Stander on Unsplash

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