Paul and Silas—probably one of the biggest superstar combos in the Bible. There were even old-time songs sung about them: “Paul and Silas, they prayed, they sang, and the Holy Ghost came down.”
But let’s backtrack a bit.
In Acts 13:2, we see a scenario where certain prophets and teachers were worshipping God and fasting—then the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”
Through divine leading, Paul was originally partnered with Barnabas to do God’s work.
So how did we end up with “Paul and Silas” instead?
Acts 15:39 gives us the answer. Paul and Barnabas had a contention so sharp that they parted ways. The MSG translation puts it bluntly: “Tempers flared, and they ended up going their separate ways.”
As a result, Paul teamed up with Silas, while Barnabas went with John Mark. Each pair continued to do great things, but this moment is a reminder that even God-ordained relationships can reach a point of irreconcilable differences if not managed well.
Your spouse, business partner, or closest friend may be God-sent, and I sincerely hope they are—because why would you agree to the relationship otherwise?
But divine selection doesn’t override human responsibility. You have a role to play in nurturing, communicating, and preserving the bond to fulfill its purpose.
1 thought on “God-Sent, But Not Problem-Free”
100%. I was.sharing with my wife last week. That I found out the reason why people especially believers love “God’s will” is because of laziness. They feel like because it’s God’s will, the requisite work needed is unnecessary.
What I have realised is that most often than not God’s will often come with greater responsibility that’s why God takes the time to painstakingly reveal it because he knows on your own you will run from such opportunities because of the demands it will place on you. However, we see that God always hides his best in his will.
This comment is becoming longer than the right up..runs away