Have you ever thought about Paul’s conversion?
This was a guy who had read all the books, done all the prayer thing, been in community, could point to scripture to justify everything he believed.
Yet he found himself opposed to God. And the thing that brought him back wasn’t a prayer group, or a discussion about some important verses.
What changed his life was an encounter with Jesus. In my Bible the encounter is only 5 lines long. A simple encounter is all it took.
What’s My Focus?
As a parent, sometimes I just want my kids to sit down and shut up. At the end of a stressful day, I’m not thinking about the gospel, how I can gracefully discipline, I just want the craziness to end.
I think that attitude reveals that when push comes to shove, I rely on my own strength or intelligence to make things happen.
One of the parenting books I own talks a lot about helping your kids see Jesus. I could use fear or bribery to get my kids to behave, but what will actually change their hearts is an encounter with Jesus.
In moments of stress and disobedience, is my focus to model Jesus’s to my kids? Teach them how He responded in situations?
I think that mindset also applies to my friends or members of my community. If people would just _______, then things would be better.
Bring Them to Jesus
What if I just committed to bringing them to Jesus?
Do I think he’s big enough to solve whatever is going on in their lives? Do I trust him to teach the lessons that are important? Am I able to give up control with what I want, and take on what Jesus wants?
When I think of Paul, that short encounter with Jesus completely changed his life. All his learning and knowledge paled in comparison to encountering the risen Christ.
He spent the rest of his life sold out for the gospel.
That kind of commitment is hard for me to understand. I don’t live that type of life.
That’s probably because I need to encounter Jesus more frequently. If I had a deeper relationship with him, that would completely change my life too. The thing that others desperately need, encountering Jesus, is also the thing I desperately need.