About that time, serious trouble developed in Ephesus concerning the Way. It began with Demetrius, a silversmith who had a large business manufacturing silver shrines of the Greek goddess Artemis. He kept many craftsmen busy. He called them together, along with others employed in similar trades, and addressed them as follows: “Gentlemen, you know that our wealth comes from this business. But as you have seen and heard, this man Paul has persuaded many people that handmade gods aren’t really gods at all. And he’s done this not only here in Ephesus but throughout the entire province! Of course, I’m not just talking about the loss of public respect for our business. I’m also concerned that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will lose its influence and that Artemis—this magnificent goddess worshiped throughout the province of Asia and all around the world—will be robbed of her great prestige!” At this their anger boiled, and they began shouting, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” Soon the whole city was filled with confusion. Everyone rushed to the amphitheater, dragging along Gaius and Aristarchus, who were Paul’s traveling companions from Macedonia. Paul wanted to go in, too, but the believers wouldn’t let him. Some of the officials of the province, friends of Paul, also sent a message to him, begging him not to risk his life by entering the amphitheater. Inside, the people were all shouting, some one thing and some another. Everything was in confusion. In fact, most of them didn’t even know why they were there. The Jews in the crowd pushed Alexander forward and told him to explain the situation. He motioned for silence and tried to speak. But when the crowd realized he was a Jew, they started shouting again and kept it up for about two hours: “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians! Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” At last the mayor was able to quiet them down enough to speak. “Citizens of Ephesus,” he said. “Everyone knows that Ephesus is the official guardian of the temple of the great Artemis, whose image fell down to us from heaven. Since this is an undeniable fact, you should stay calm and not do anything rash. You have brought these men here, but they have stolen nothing from the temple and have not spoken against our goddess. “If Demetrius and the craftsmen have a case against them, the courts are in session and the officials can hear the case at once. Let them make formal charges. And if there are complaints about other matters, they can be settled in a legal assembly. I am afraid we are in danger of being charged with rioting by the Roman government, since there is no cause for all this commotion. And if Rome demands an explanation, we won’t know what to say.” Then he dismissed them, and they dispersed.
Acts of the Apostles 19:23-41 NLT
It is not always our job to fix the problem. A riot in Ephesus was a big problem – it could have caused violence, turned public opinion against the Christians, and caused a tricky legal situation. Paul was the church’s best speaker and debater, and he was willing to risk his life for his brothers and sisters. But the Christian leaders, in wisdom, asked him to stay away. It was not his job to fix the problem. Paul stayed away, and it was the mayor—who was not a Christian—who spoke to the crowd, settled the riot, and gave a legal settlement that favored the Christians.
Do you struggle to fix everything and everyone? This is when we give out advice more than listening and support. It is when we want to jump in and solve when it is far better to observe and cheer on. Others grow by doing and learning from their mistakes.
It is not our job to fix every problem. Know what your responsibility is and do it. Know what the responsibility is of others and support them as they do it. Know what is God’s responsibility, and trust Him. Stay connected to Him in prayer at all times. Don’t blame yourself for the things that are not your responsibility but do your best in the things that are. Find the freedom and peace in not solving every problem but knowing your job and doing it with excellence. How can you live this out today?
