Not the kind that has my husband raising an eyebrow.🤨
The Bible kind.😌
His name is Paul of Tarsus.
The more I read about him, the more I admire him. There is just something about this man that draws me in. His courage. His conviction. His complete surrender to Christ. Every time I read his story, I find myself lingering a little longer over the page.
So this quarter, if you don’t mind, I’d love for you to come walking with me.
We’ll travel the dusty roads of Antioch, Philippi, Thessalonica, Berea, Athens, Corinth, Ephesus, and eventually Rome. We’ll watch prison doors fly open, storms rage at sea, churches planted, miracles performed, and letters written that still stir hearts over two thousand years later.
But before we begin the journey, you should probably know the man.
Because Paul wasn’t always Paul.
He was Saul.
And Saul hated Jesus.
Not just a little.
He hunted Christians.
Dragged them from their homes.
Approved of their deaths.
If there had been a “Most Wanted” poster hanging in the early church, Saul’s face would have been on it.
Then…
Jesus showed up.
One encounter.
One voice from heaven.
One calling.
And everything changed.
Now isn’t that just like Jesus?
He specializes in turning…
hatred into love…
pride into humility…
fear into courage…
guilt into grace…
rebels into disciples…
persecutors into preachers…
brokenness into beauty…
and sinners into saints.
He doesn’t simply improve people.
He transforms them.
Reading Paul’s story has caused me to stop and ask myself an uncomfortable question.
What has Jesus transformed in me? the answer to this question may be obvious, but I truly stopped to answer much deeper. You and I know that his calling was not just for us to be a church going Christian.
Am I still holding on to pieces of the old Melody…
or am I becoming the woman He envisioned when He first whispered my name?
As I continue reading, one thing immediately stands out about Paul.
He never seemed impressed with Paul.
He wasn’t trying to build Paul’s reputation.
He wasn’t trying to prove how intelligent or accomplished he was.
Instead, he understood something I desperately want to learn for myself.
“Paul realized that his sufficiency was not in himself, but in the presence of the Holy Spirit, whose gracious influence filled his heart… Self was hidden; Christ was revealed and exalted.”
Those last few words stopped me in my tracks.
Self was hidden. Christ was revealed.
What a beautiful description of the Christian life.
Less of me.
More of Him.
What if that’s what Jesus is after in each of us?
Not bigger platforms.
Not louder applause.
Not polished reputations.
Just hearts so yielded that people begin to see Jesus instead of us.
Maybe that’s why Paul’s life continues to captivate me.
He wasn’t trying to become a great apostle.
He was trying to make Christ great.
And somehow, in doing so, he became one of the greatest missionaries the world has ever known.
So, Nuggeteers…
Before we lace up our sandals and follow Paul across the pages of Acts, can I ask you one question?
What has Jesus called you to do?
Not your pastor.
Not your spouse.
Not your parents.
You.
Some are called to preach.
Some to teach.
Some to encourage.
Some to give.
Some to serve quietly behind the scenes.
Some to raise godly children.
Some to write.
Some to simply love the lonely and point them to Jesus.
Whatever your assignment is, don’t spend your life admiring someone else’s calling while neglecting your own.
As we journey with Paul this quarter, don’t just study his footsteps.
Listen for your own.
Because the same Jesus who interrupted Saul’s life on the road to Damascus is still interrupting lives today.
He is still calling.
Still transforming.
Still forgiving.
Still equipping.
Still sending.
The question isn’t, “Did God call?”
The question is, “Did I answer?”
Paul’s first response after meeting Jesus was beautifully simple:
“Lord, what would You have me to do?”
Perhaps that’s the best prayer we can pray before turning another page in this study.
“Lord… what would You have me to do?”
Because this journey isn’t really about Paul.
It’s about us.
It’s about allowing Jesus to move us…
from darkness to light…
from fear to faith…
from pride to humility…
from comfort to courage…
from self to surrender.
And, in my case…
from Melody… to Harmony (pun intended).
May our lives become so beautifully in tune with Christ that people hear less of us… and more of Him.
Come walk with me, Nuggeteers.
I have a feeling Paul still has a lot to teach us.
No responses yet