Almost

Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You almost persuade me to become a Christian.” Acts 26:28

Have you thought about the ‘almosts’ in your life? The older I get, the more of them have slipped away from me, but fortunately most did not matter or make a difference, however, some were important opportunities missed that would never come my way again. Perhaps you have had a few ‘almosts’ in your own life?

Some of our ‘almost’ moments become regrets as we look back. That missed job opportunity. The time we could have stepped into a feud to pour oil on troubled waters, and we didn’t. The ‘almost’ of a lost proposal. Not going to see the doctor quickly enough to make a difference in the essential treatment which almost killed you. The almosts are endless, and we have all endured a few. Some known, many only known to ourselves.

However bad or serious these times have been, there is one ‘almost’ which brings greater  consequences, and sometimes we play it down, ignore it, or don’t think about warning others. In our text, Paul took the opportunity to tell King Agrippa, and although the ‘almost’ didn’t translate into a change of heart and mind, at that point Paul had done all he could. In fact he did the only thing we as Christians, are asked to do, and that is to tell others about the benefits of salvation when the right time presents itself. Ultimately the decision lies in the heart of the hearer, and the saddest words are ‘you almost persuade me to become a Christian’. Can I suggest an even sadder outcome for the Christian is when we don’t even bother to try for fear of failure or rejection? Yes, the stakes are high, and for eternity.