Acts 20:18 “And when they were come to him, he said unto them, Ye know, from the first day that I came into Asia, after what manner I have been with you at all seasons.”
Often Imitated, Always Duplicated
Did you know that you are the only person you know who has never seen you? You have never seen the way you look and walk in the same way that others see you. For instance, haven’t we all heard ourselves on an audio recording and thought, “Do I really sound like that?” The easiest way to see yourself is to see the people who follow you.
You can only produce in your followers (kids, peers, neighbors) what you are producing in your own life. You don’t reproduce what you want; you reproduce what you are. That is why Paul’s statement in Acts 20:18 is so amazing! “Ye know, from the first day . . . after what manner I have been with you at all seasons.”
Perhaps no one knows you better day in and day out, “at all seasons,” than your family. You may be known for many things outside your home, but nothing will serve you longer and better than what you are and what you do inside your home.
Paul served with humility (verse 19), generosity (verse 20), and faith (verse 22). Do those traits characterize your life, your home, and your work? The heritage you leave will be visible in those who follow you. You will reproduce tomorrow what you are producing today. May God help us to be able to say with Paul, “Ye know . . . what manner I have been with you at all seasons.”