The Conversion of Saint Paul

"As he traveled along and was approaching Damascus, a light from the sky suddenly flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, 'Saul, Saul! Why do you persecute me?' And he asked, 'Who are you, Lord?' The voice replied, 'I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.'" - Acts 9:3-5

The interesting thing about Paul before his encounter with Jesus is that he was acting out of zeal for his Jewish faith. Paul thought he was doing the right thing and doing it for God's kingdom. In the same way, I'm sure each of us has our righteous inclinations about certain things and if we don't examine ourselves carefully under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, those attitudes we hold on to might be pulling us into sin without us realizing it. There really are many aspects to a Spiritual life that can be damaging instead of constructive. For example, someone may become prideful of having a close relationship with God and look down upon other sinners. But our Lord is a merciful God and I believe that when our heart is in trying to do God's will, He'll open our eyes to our mistakes. In the case of Paul, his passion for his law and religion blinded him from seeing the harm he was causing. Because so many new Christians suffered at his hands, it was Jesus that was being persecuted along with them, just like we persecute Jesus when we believe ourselves to be righteous and act upon our misguided beliefs. However, what the enemy intends for our harm, God uses for our good, and in order to stop Paul dead in his tracks from arresting more Christians, Jesus Himself appeared before him with such intensity that Paul was knocked from his horse and onto the ground. As you know, Paul went on to bring the news of Jesus to all the pagan nations outside of Jerusalem, demonstrating that God can take the worst parts of us, like Paul with his zeal for arresting Christians, and use that for the glory of His Kingdom. But before that happens, expect the bumps in the road that will knock us down. Expect obstacles allowed by God that will leave us completely disoriented. All these things are necesary for a true conversion and to be a true instrument of God's power.

Today's Prayer:
Lord Jesus, knock me down if there are things I am blind to that are leading me to sin. Strip away all pride and ego and leave me with a humble heart that only seeks to work for Your kingdom. In Jesus' Name we pray, amen.