Be a Real Pest

[S] Acts 24:5 --
 ⁵"For we have found this man a real pest and a fellow who stirs up dissension among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes.

[O] Although the accusations made by the Tertullus (one of the Jews) were far from being accurate the fact that they had to go out of their ways to do this tells how influential Paul was to them.  The only true thing he said was how Paul was a real pest to them because Paul's message and leadership went directly against their traditional practices of the religion.  Instead of bowing before the God who had originally gave them their Law to follow in order to establish a loving relationship with Him, they are rejecting it and thus what Paul is doing became a pest to them.  When my will becomes my own goal in life, then what God plans to do becomes a pest getting the way of what I am trying to do.

[A] I'm chewing on the concept of balancing between becoming a pest to this world vs. befriending them in order to present the good news.  This is especially true at workplace because you spend a lot of time with the coworkers and so want to have a general plan of approach rather than just "dumping" on them the idea of God's salvation.  Or is that what I should be doing?  This has been a constant struggle in me and this passage challenges me again.

[P] Dear Father, as much as I want to make an impact to the people around me, especially those who do not know you yet, I seem to be just lukewarm going about it.  Please continue to show me how I may be more like Paul in standing up for You in this world.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.