If God used Paul as his vessel, He probably has a job waiting for you too.
A couple weeks ago I wrote about Peter’s denial, and how we read it like something we’d never stoop to. But the truth is it was a pretty garden variety move, the kind of go-along-to-get-along thing we all do more than we’d like to admit. God still used him anyway.
Paul’s a different case. Most of us, hopefully, never go anywhere close to the lengths he did. And God still used him too. In a big way.
I guess in Paul’s defense he thought he was doing good at the time. Which also sounds familiar to a lot of us if we are honest.
When word got around that Saul of Tarsus had a change of heart, nobody believed it. Why would they?
This wasn’t a guy who’d quietly disagreed with Christians. He’d built a reputation hunting them down. Stephen was stoned to death while Paul watched and held coats for the men doing the throwing. Another time he says “I cast my vote against them,” talking about believers being put to death. Not one incident. A pattern, with him positioned right in the middle of it.
Later Saul obtains letters of authority to go after believers outside Jerusalem too. He was a man on a mission, and it wasn’t a mission for Jesus.
Then the road to Damascus. Blinded, knocked down, told to go into the city and wait. A believer named Ananias gets sent to heal him and clearly does not want the job but he does it anyway. No word on whether he acted like Jonah later.
Saul’s sight comes back. And he becomes Paul, who will be used by God to spread the Gospel.
Obviously the disciples weren’t thrilled to see him at first. And it wasn’t easy. But Paul did what he was told and trusted God, and ended up writing most of what comes after Acts. Romans, Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Thessalonians, the letters to Timothy and Titus.
Most of the New Testament, written by the man who used to hold the coats of those killing believers.
Here’s something you’re probably starting to notice a pattern about: God didn’t wait for Paul to clean up before using him.
He went from a terrible oppressor to the greatest evangelist ever known in the blink of an eye. All because that’s what God wanted him to do and Paul trusted God.
When you think you’re too damaged or have done too much for God to be able to use you, remember Peter, Paul and others. And just trust God and listen. And when you hear, act.
P.S.
If you’d like to read through the Bible this year, you can join us at His Word Together.
No commentary. No telling you what to think. Nothing to buy. Nothing fancy.
Just steady time in the Word.
Leave a Reply