Are You An Atmosphere Changer?

 “About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.” Acts 16:25

I arrived at the quaint, Italian restaurant and chose a quiet table for dinner. Andrea Bocelli’s soothing voice soared over the speakers. Red and white checkered tablecloths and green vines adorned the room. The calm ambiance was perfect for an evening dedicated to spending time with a few women from my church, connecting over garlic knots and chicken Florentine. The atmosphere was set for meaningful conversation. And in a moment, with one simple gesture, the it changed.

“We’re about to pray,” Sharon sweetly told our waitress. The five of us had already reached out and grasped each other’s hands.

“Would you like to join us?” she continued. It wasn’t the first time I’d seen Sharon do this.

“Sure,” the waitress responded, pleasantly caught off guard.

“What’s your name?” she went on. “Fallon,” she answered.

Two of the women opened their hands and Fallon took theirs. One of the girls, Lisa, prayed for Fallon. She prayed that God would help her to flourish in this job and that He would show her His love. When we finished praying, Fallon’s eyes were misty and she was beaming from ear to ear.

With one simple gesture, the atmosphere changed.

Not only did it change the atmosphere for Fallon, it set the tone for our entire conversation, saturated in vulnerability and genuine concern for each other.

We have the power to change the atmosphere by our presence. Our words and actions shift it for the better or for the worse. Gossip, negativity and raised voices bring heaviness. It weighs down others and causes them to become wounded and guarded. However, when we choose to fill our space with encouragement and peace, it elevates those around us, pointing people to Jesus.

A poignant example of this is found in Acts 16. Paul and Silas sit in utter darkness, chained for speaking the Gospel. Severely beaten and unjustly treated as Roman citizens, they had every reason to nurse not only their physical wounds but bitterness and pride.

Yet, they turned their focus upward and outward, not inward. In the middle of their difficult trial, they sang praises to God. At midnight, chained and bleeding, they chose to worship. Scripture tells us everyone could hear them. Their worship shifted the atmosphere and God responded by sending a violent earthquake, opening the prison doors. The jailer nearly fell on his sword to avoid punishment for the released prisoners. Yet Paul and Silas didn’t move, prompting the jailer to ask how he could be saved. The jailer washed their wounds, fed them, and asked them to baptize him and his entire family. Paul and Silas were released the next morning.

They chose to worship, and their attitude during adversity changed the atmosphere in a jail cell, in a city, and in the early church. We can’t always control our circumstances, but we can control our reactions.

Perhaps you feel trapped by a situation. Perhaps you feel surrounded by the darkness of physical or emotional pain. Can I encourage you today that God sees you? He cares. If you’re going through a difficult time, look upward and outward. God will give you strength, wisdom, and compassion – even for your enemies.

Be a “Sharon” to a “Fallon this week. Be a “Paul” or a “Silas” to a “jailer” in your life. You might just be the instrument God uses to lead them to Jesus.

Make your life matter no matter what, 

With love,

Angela