Philippians 3:5-11
For I went through the Jewish initiation ceremony when I was eight days old, having been born into a pure-blooded Jewish home that was a branch of the old original Benjamin family. So I was a real Jew if there ever was one! What’s more, I was a member of the Pharisees who demand the strictest obedience to every Jewish law and custom. And sincere? Yes, so much so that I greatly persecuted the Church; and I tried to obey every Jewish rule and regulation right down to the very last point. But all these things that I once thought very worthwhile—now I’ve thrown them all away so that I can put my trust and hope in Christ alone. Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the priceless gain of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. I have put aside all else, counting it worth less than nothing, in order that I can have Christ, and become one with him, no longer counting on being saved by being good enough or by obeying God’s laws, but by trusting Christ to save me; for God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith—counting on Christ alone. Now I have given up everything else—I have found it to be the only way to really know Christ and to experience the mighty power that brought him back to life again, and to find out what it means to suffer and to die with him. So whatever it takes, I will be one who lives in the fresh newness of life of those who are alive from the dead. Philippians 3:5-11 (TLB)
Paul thought he had life all figured out. He was “born into a pure-blooded Jewish home” that was a branch of one of the twelve original tribes. As a member of the Pharisees, “the strictest obedience to every Jewish law and custom” was demanded of him. Paul “tried to obey every Jewish rule and regulation right down to the very last point.” He was proud of the fact he “greatly persecuted the Church.”
After the stoning death of Stephen, Paul made it his mission to persecute and imprison all of Jesus’ followers (Acts 9). But then, on his way to Damascus, arrest warrants in hand, something happened that turned his world upside down. He had a heavenly visitation with flashing lights and a loud voice declaring, “Why are you persecuting me?” Three days later, in Damascus, Paul was baptized, became a follower of Jesus, and began helping to spread the word. Everything he thought he knew was “thrown away.”
Why did God select Paul to be his advocate to the gentiles? Paul was knowledgeable about the Torah, fluent in multiple languages, intelligent, and a driven leader. He knew how to get things done. In Galatians 1:15-16 he says, “…God had chosen me to be his…to reveal his Son within me so that I could go to the Gentiles and show them the Good News about Jesus.” God knew that this was the right guy.
It's a little intimidating reading about Paul and his years of spreading the gospel. How can I ever measure up? Sometimes in life, we make big changes. But in my experience, those opportunities don’t come along all that often. It’s the everyday small things I do that really change my life and positively affect others.
“I alone can’t change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.” – Mother Teresa
Question for Reflection:
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How do you “create ripples” in your life?
Prayer:
Hey God, I read about the early leaders of Your church and don’t know how I can ever measure up. But then I remember, I don’t have to. Guide me, lead me, inspire me, to create ripples and leave Your world a better place. Amen.
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