Happy Wednesday, October 22nd, 2025. I’ve heard it said that every person is a blessing — some are a blessing when they show up… and others are a blessing when they leave. Paul encounters the second kind of blessing in today’s reading.
Today's Reading:
Job 11,12; Acts 15,16
Scripture
“She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so annoyed that he turned around and said to the spirit, ‘In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!’ At that moment the spirit left her.” (Acts 16:18)
Observation
I always thought this story was funny. Paul and Silas are walking to prayer, and this girl starts following them, shouting things that are technically true! “These men are servants of the Most High God!” If it were me, I’d probably say, “Wow, free advertising!” But Paul gets annoyed and casts the spirit out of her.
At first, that seemed overreactive—until I realized why. The Bible says she had a spirit of Python—a term from Greek mythology tied to the false god Apollo. So even though her words were right, her spirit was wrong. She was confusing people about who Paul and Silas represented. Was it Zeus? Apollo? Or the One True God?
Paul wasn’t irritated because of what she said — he was grieved by who she was representing and the spirit behind it.
Application
There are three ways we communicate:
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With Words — what we say.
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With Actions — what we do.
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With Spirit — the heart behind it.
That last one is the most important.
It’s easy to throw a little tantrum and justify it because technically, “I did the right thing.” But the truth is, how I do something speaks louder than what I do.
If my wife asks me to wash the dishes and I do it angrily, slamming plates around like I’m auditioning for a percussion solo — did I really serve her? If I serve in ministry but do it with a proud, haughty spirit — am I really representing Jesus, or just myself?
Like that girl in Acts 16, I can say all the right words, but if the wrong spirit is behind them, it’ll only distract people from Jesus instead of drawing them to Him.
Prayer
Lord, check my spirit today.
Help me not just to say the right things or do the right things — but to do them with Your heart. Fill me with Your Spirit so that when people hear my words and see my actions, they sense You behind them. May the way I speak, serve, and even wash the dishes point others toward the One True Most High God. In Jesus’ name, amen.
-Chris Kiriakos