In Acts 16 we have a story of truth involving Paul and Silas in Philippi. They have been traveling with Timothy, preaching and teaching and converting believers to this emerging faith in Christ. Who do they encounter? What does she do? How did Paul feel? What did he do?
The slave girl in Philippi following Paul and Silas around as they are going about ministry is possessed by a spirit – whether good or bad, we can’t be exactly sure. But the spirit has allowed her to predict the future, to tell fortunes. Through her affliction of being possessed by a spirit her owners have gained considerable money.
This all may seem well and good from the outside, but we have no way of knowing how the slave girl felt. One thing we do know is that she is a slave and her spirit possession is keeping her enslaved. She is too valuable to be freed from the possession.
Some may have thought that they should ignore the girl, but we know that she was speaking the truth. She knew that Paul and Silas were serving God and showing the way to salvation. But apparently not everyone wanted to hear the truth.
Paul, recognizing that this girl was enslaved by the spirit that possessed her, recognizing that as long as she was possessed she would remain a slave, is troubled in his heart. He knows the truth. She is possessed and he must act. And so Paul drives the spirit from the girl, releasing her from the possession.
We may know someone, perhaps even ourselves, who is living a life of slavery. That person may be a slave to drugs, alcohol, abusive behavior or trapped in accepted social traditions. But that person needs to be set free from that enslavement.
Regardless of the fact that this person may be functioning within this slavery, regardless of the fact that life seems to be going along smoothly in spite of this enslavement, we must act to put an end to it. We must do our part to speak the truth, to work against the damaging behavior, and set the person free from a destructive life.
DAILY CHALLENGE: Do you know of anyone trapped in a destructive way of living? What can you say to stop it?
