Acts 22:3-5 NLT
Then Paul said, “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, and I was brought up and educated here in Jerusalem under Gamaliel. As his student, I was carefully trained in our Jewish laws and customs. I became very zealous to honor God in everything I did, just like all of you today. And I persecuted the followers of the Way, hounding some to death, arresting both men and women and throwing them in prison. The high priest and the whole council of elders can testify that this is so. For I received letters from them to our Jewish brothers in Damascus, authorizing me to bring the followers of the Way from there to Jerusalem, in chains, to be punished.
Do you sometimes think that there is no way God can forgive you for what you have done?
This thought is common for those who feel their hearts moved by God towards Jesus Christ.
Why wouldn’t it? Some of us have done some pretty bad things to ourselves and others?
Thankfully, God’s grace is greater than our sins.
Romans 5:20 NLT
God’s law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were. But as people sinned more and more, God’s wonderful grace became more abundant.
For example, look at Paul; he was trained by what was considered one of the foremost teachers of religious laws.
When you look at his life compared to the law, he was devout in every way. If there were an example of someone who lived by the law to every degree, it would have been Paul (Saul).
And he went out to persecute the church; he was fixed in his mind that what he was doing was to glorify God.
When they were going to stone Stephen, he was the man they looked at, throwing their coats to his feet for confirmation of what they were about to do. In other words, he gave them the thumbs up to proceed with the stoning.
He was the man that was going to set things right for their cause until he met Jesus on the road to Damascus.
Acts 22:6-10 NLT
“As I was on the road, approaching Damascus about noon, a very bright light from heaven suddenly shone down around me. I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’ “‘Who are you, Lord?’ I asked. “And the voice replied, ‘I am Jesus the Nazarene, the one you are persecuting.’ The people with me saw the light but didn’t understand the voice speaking to me. “I asked, ‘What should I do, Lord?’ “And the Lord told me, ‘Get up and go into Damascus, and there you will be told everything you are to do.’
Here we find Paul, the man that the religious leaders had set up to persecute the church, and in the eyes of the church, he was the greatest threat to them and the church’s growth.
But like what happens to everyone that Jesus chooses for His purpose, He turned everything upside down.
And now, the man who was zealous in persecuting the church was commissioned to bring the Gospel to the Gentiles. Being a Gentile, I am thankful for Paul’s zealous nature to do his job.
We have to ask ourselves what I am doing that I feel is glorifying God, that isn’t.
Am I looking out at others and thinking to myself, “What they are doing is wrong, and they need to stop that.” And then march out to make it stop, imparting my will on the situation with an emotional attachment to the outcome.
Here’s the thing, we can’t fix other people. Only God can do that.
“Hold on, John. Do you mean that I am to sit quietly by when I see injustice going on?”
Great question.
Here are some things to consider:
1. Is my life in line with God’s Will?
Matthew 7:3-5 NLT
“And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? How can you think of saying to your friend, ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye.
Sometimes we spend a lot of time looking at the world and the people around us using the Bible as a microscope, and we tend to point out everyone else’s problems like there is a reward for each one we find.
While we pick and choose which parts of scripture that we are going to apply to our own lives.
Acting like this does not glorify God, and this will not attract others to the faith that we proclaim.
2. Am I approaching this with a gentle and humble spirit?
Sometimes we bring a hammer when we need a scalpel.
We’ve all heard the saying, “Like a bull in a china shop.”
There is a level of gentleness and humility that we need to approach a person when we are dealing with a sensitive and emotional situation.
And also, to keep in mind is that we need not downplay something huge for someone else. We may think what they have going on is easy, but to them, it is a massive mountain that they are facing.
Colossians 3:13-15 NLT
Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.
3. Any real change in the heart of another person that will last will only come by the work of the Holy Spirit.
Knowing this should separate you from feeling smaller if it doesn’t turn out the way you think it should.
Isaiah 55:8-9 NLT
“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the LORD. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.
Heavenly Father, I ask You for a humble spirit.
I pray that You continue to work in my heart and that my faith in You and what You do becomes encouraging and inspirational to those around me, not for me but for Your glory.
I thank You for Your grace, mercy, and forgiveness.
In the glorious name of Jesus Christ, I pray, Amen!! 🙏❤️
