Chad and I are starting a study on Acts together, and something I read the other day stood out to me as though it was the first time I ever read it (I do love that about the Bible).  In Acts 5, the Sanhedrin is bringing various apostles before them at various times, threatening them to stop teaching in the name of Jesus.  Then they send the apostles out, and a Pharisee named Gamaliel sort of takes a breath, and remembers that this has happened before – someone starts teaching things they don’t like, they kill them, and their followers disband.  What he says next is what stood out to me:

“Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone!  Let them go!  For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail.  But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.” – Acts 5:38-39 (TNIV)


I had two different reactions to this.  First, that this is awesome.  (Pretty deep, huh?)  Second, and slightly more delayed, was that I don’t ever want my activity to be of “human origin” – that would just be busy work.  Sure, God can bring good out of anything, and He can use even me, but wouldn’t activity of divine origin be of greater substance??  It makes me think of all the busy work we can get into for the kingdom’s sake, when really it might not be what God is asking us to do.  David really, really, really wanted to build a temple, but that’s not what God wanted him to do.  What if we asked Him more often whether we were doing His work or ours?  Because according to Gamaliel (and I think he was on to something), if it’s the latter, it will fail.  Maybe not by the world’s standards, but that’s not the bar that’s been set for us, friends.