Monday, June 21, 2004
So Ananias went and entered the house. He laid his hands on Saul and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on your way here, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”
(Acts 9.17
NRSV)
Perhaps St. Paul was ready for a better life. As he held the Apostle Stephen's robe while the mob stoned Stephen to death, perhaps St. Paul knew deep down that Stephen was right and he was wrong. We know after his blinding vision he had a mental image of Christ, because he urges us to be conformed to that image in our own lives. The important thing about St. Paul's life is that he was totally surrendered to the will of God. His conversion was complete. It wasn't simply a product of a New Year's resolution, or a naive desire to somehow live a better life. It was unconditional surrender to God. And that's the way complete change occurs.
E. Stanley Jones once said he had seen missionaries leave loved ones, friends, home, business, prospects, and come to other lands and find that they had given up everything except self. Self was still there, assertive and jealous of its place and honor. The greatest battle any of us undertake is the battle with self.
Dear Jesus, help me to fully surrender myself to your will. Amen.
Ron
Newhouse
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