Good morning,
Give up your life
The religious Saul was young, very bright, hate filled, and loved torturing and killing followers of Jesus. The leaders of his Jewish religion were delighted to have someone like him to do their dirty work. When Saul went to another town to get some more victims to punish, he was suddenly stopped on the road by a very bright light and the voice of Jesus. When Saul realized that he was attacking Jesus, not just people, he had a major change of heart. The light blinded him, and he was taken to a house where he stayed for three days. Jesus sent a Godly man, Ananias, to give him sight and set him free. The Lord told Ananias, "Go, for Saul is my chosen instrument to take my message to the Gentiles and to kings, as well as to the people of Israel. And I will show him how much he must suffer for my name's sake.”(Acts9:15,16) What Saul didn’t know then but learned later is that Jesus told his disciples, "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me.(Mat.16:24) Suddenly Saul now had a whole new way of living and serving his Creator and Lord. He also made it clear to Saul that suffering was a new part of his life from that day on. He also learned that Jesus told his disciples that, If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.(v.25) Saul, who we now know as Paul, found himself living every day hanging on to life or giving up his life to God’s time table for the rest of his life.
What Paul was to discover for himself was that there were many parts of Godly living that looked different then what he had expected. Part of the time his life was in danger and full of pain, but then again he also had to learn the lessons of waiting for God’s timing before he could carry out God’s plan. Paul also had to learn that when he was told what to do, he would not be able to control the outcome of his obedience. Paul had to learn that never giving up meant getting weaker and relying more and more on the Holy Spirit to carry out God’s plan for his life and ministry. After working with the church in Corinth for many years he found himself, writing that letter in great anguish, with a troubled heart and many tears. I didn't want to grieve you, but I wanted to let you know how much love I have for you.(2Cor.2:4) At another time he went to evangelize another part of Turkey, and the Lord told him that he had other plans. God then led him to Greece and opened up a whole new area to the gospel.(Acts 16) When Paul stopped to say goodby to the church at Ephesus, he did his best to encourage the Christians there but then said, I know that false teachers, like vicious wolves, will come in among you after I leave, not sparing the flock. Even some men from your own group will rise up and distort the truth in order to draw a following. Even though Paul planned and prayed that he would get to go to Rome, he found himself spending years in prison waiting to go and then stuck in prison waiting to go on trial. Of course what he didn’t realize was that the letters he wrote would someday be an important part of our Bible today. Although none of us are Apostles or gifted like Paul, each of us still have the same Savior with the same love and power and standards that have always been a part of our Father and Savior and Holy Spirit. Dear Lord, will you please help us, like your faith filled sons and daughters before us, to Never Give Up by giving up our life for you.
Matthew 16:25 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.
Roy Wisner
