Paul’s De-Assing

If you are anything like me, you tend to look at biblical figures idealistically. We forget they were people who grappled with the same insecurities, fears, and questions we do.

Consider Paul. We think of him as a major player in scripture, and rightfully so. But we forget before he was Paul, he was Saul, a guy notorious for being heartless and cruel when it came to his pharisaical responsibilities. He persecuted people for the simple act of believing a carpenter out of Nazareth might actually be who He claimed to be.

Then came the road trip to Damascus. Knocked off his ass, he got up blind asking “Who are you Lord?” and the game changed.
I’ve been chewing on the after ass fallout. In terms of inner healing or transformational thinking, Saul had signficant mindsets to overcome.

Because he was human, not a dude with a halo despite artists renderings, he surely laid in bed at night replaying images of people jailed or murdered at his order. Paul was a zealot who perceived christianity a threat to the Law. He held the robes of Stephen’s stoners. He went after followers of “the way” with a vengeance. He was responsible for creating widows and fatherless children. This would surely spawn guilt, shame, regret, sorrow and other emotions after his conversion.

Yet somehow, he overcame what had to be profound remorse to become the Apostle Paul, who wrote two-thirds of the New Testament. Could it be he was able to do this by focusing on who God said he was?

He tucked away for fourteen years after being de-assed. Maybe it took that long for him to quiet the internal accusation and believe what God spoke to him as opposed to what he spoke to himself? The possibility exists.

What about you? How do you feel your transformation from Saul to Paul is progressing? Fast? Slow? Not at all? Be encouraged. If Paul was able to overcome his Saulness and the ick mental tentacles attached to it, so can you.

#transformation
#youarewhoHesaysyouare