What brought the Apostle Paul to a point in his life where being imprisoned, with the possibility of execution, simply meant another opportunity to glorify God and speak courageously about the resurrection and salvation of Jesus?
'To live is Christ and to die is gain.' (Philippians 1) - what a mantra!
Was it his miraculous conversion: a blinding bright light, the voice of the recently deceased, resurrected and ascended Messiah?
Or was it an opening of his spiritual eyes to the reality of Gods new work. An experiential knowledge of the new dispensation of Spirit and Grace upon the earth.
Many of us have witnessed pretty miraculous things: preserved life after a natural disaster, brutal car-crash survivors, mysterious healing of a terminally ill family member, random rent check in the mail...
How many hold onto that miracle as life-changing from that point onward? I would like to believe that if Jesus opened up the sky and told me to serve Him 100% that I would do so without fail...I've experienced that power in different ways and I still flounder at times.
Paul responded with zeal. He passionately took up his new calling, his new faith and never turned back.
Have you turned back? Have you doubted relentlessly, turned back and found yourself frozen in your tracks? Then PRAY. Pray for a renewed vision for your life, a tenderized heart for His Holiness and your neighbors lostness, a breath of fresh spiritual air found in the Word and written on your soul. You and I can be like Paul.
