Monday, January 24, 2011

Do It Anyway

Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, "Brother Saul, the Lord -- Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here -- has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit." -- Acts 9:17

If ever there was a man early church members wanted to avoid, it was Saul. He persecuted Jesus' followers with every intention of destroying Christianity. Saul was present when Stephen was stoned to death. He was an enemy in every sense of the word.

But that was before Jesus appeared to Saul on the road to Damascus. It's amazing what bright light and a voice from heaven can do to change a man. And Saul -- who later became the Apostle Paul -- was forever changed by that encounter with Jesus. He gave up a life as a Pharisee with a bright future to become a man punished and persecuted for his belief in Jesus the Messiah.

When Jesus told Ananias to go to Saul and restore Saul's vision, Ananias resisted. He reminded Jesus that Paul was His enemy. Just like Jesus didn't already know. Ananias couldn't see how Jesus could ever use Saul and, frankly, Ananias wanted nothing to do with the man. Remember that Saul wanted to get rid of believers and Ananias probably didn't have a death wish.

Jesus saw something different in Saul. He chose Saul to carry His message to the Gentiles. And, as we all know, he did just that. The man who became know as Paul spread the gospel and suffered for it until he died a violate death.

Has God ever called you to do something that you believed was impossible? Have you ever given up, given in and abandoned all hope, only to find a miracle you never expected? Have you ever rejected a person as someone God could use? Maybe, even, the person you see in the mirror each morning?

God doesn't look on us as others do or even as we view ourselves. He sees what we are right now and what we can be with His power behind our words and actions. The same force that settled Paul on the right road also directs your life. Do you listen? Do you believe? Or do you reject His wisdom based on what you see today? Ananias didn't agree with what Jesus told him to do. But he did it anyway.

How about you? Do you wait until you see the whole picture, and agree with it, before you're willing to follow Jesus? Or do you step out in faith, knowing that God really does know what He's doing? Trust Him. You'll be amazed at just what He can do.