Changed in an instant, transformed over a lifetime.
We know the stories of the apostle Paul’s missionary journeys. He traveled far and wide across Asia Minor and Europe, teaching and preaching at every opportunity. He was attacked, arrested, imprisoned, and shipwrecked. But there is more to the story than that. Paul’s whole life was a journey.
With a blinding flash of light and a voice from heaven, Paul was transformed from a persecutor of Christians to an ambassador for Christ. Paul was transformed, but he was not perfected.
He still had a lot of growing up to do.
As he sowed and nurtured the seeds of Christianity all over his world, Paul’s spiritual journey took him along paths we all must walk. He faced doubt and uncertainty. He was confronted with criticism and loss. He learned to face adversity, to take the good with the bad, and to be content in whatever state he found himself. He learned to depend on God.
Transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit – beginning on the road to Damascus and continuing on every other road he traveled – Paul planted the seeds that changed the world.
We are all on a journey. We all have some growing up to do. Through Paul’s story and his words, the Power that transformed him can take hold of our hearts. In his life, we can see who God wants us to be and the work He wants us to finish.
