LIFE SCRIPTS

They preached the gospel in that city and won a large number of disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,” they said. Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust. After going through Pisidia, they came into Pamphylia, and when they had preached the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia. From Attalia they sailed back to Antioch, where they had been committed to the grace of God for the work they had now completed. On arriving there, they gathered the church together and reported all that God had done through them and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles. And they stayed there a long time with the disciples.
Acts 14:21‭-‬28 NIV
https://bible.com/bible/111/act.14.21-28.NIV.

How would it sound to return to a place where you had been stoned and left for the dead? This is exactly what Paul did. He made his way back to various cities where he had preached the gospel (including Lystra) to encourage and strengthen the disciples there. Christ has called us to make disciples. Making disciples entails committing our time, energy and resources to help those who’ve come to the faith. Disciple making does not come naturally to everyone. In fact, sometimes circumstances may prevent us from doing it (just as was the case with Paul). Making disciples is a deliberate action. If Paul had a choice, I reckon he would have bypassed Lystra and Iconium. But he was deliberate. He therefore chose the harder but correct path. Disciple-making is not very different from parenting or mentoring. These occupations involve investing in people deliberately. I can only imagine Paul seeing the crowds that were converted in Derbe and wondering to himself what strategy he had to encourage them to stay in the faith. Paul himself had been a beneficiary of discipling from Ananias and Barnabas. He had seen it work for him. Now was the time for him to do the same for others.

After all his mission endeavors, Paul was still accountable to a group of brethren. Paul and Barnabas had been sent to other cities by the congregation at Antioch. So they felt obliged to report back on the progress. A man who performed miracles, signs and wonders chose to humble himself and be accountable. Very rare in our age of image-building (especially through social media). What if Paul thought of starting a church in Derbe where masses of people turned to Christ? In fact, he had a right to do so but he didn’t. What if he chose to convince the new believers in Lystra or Iconium to part ways with some money for his journeys? He had a right to but chose not to exercise it. Instead, he chose to be humble and accountable. Humility is not taught. It is a choice we make. We can choose to be humble or walk in pride.