From both the world’s perspective and a Jewish perspective, Paul seemed to have received an unfair deal. He was an “up and comer” in Jewish culture, trained by Gamaliel – the “Rabbi to the stars.” Paul was a young Pharisee who gained fame and prestige as the enforcer against the heretical Jesus of Nazareth followers. However, during a trip to Damascus to round up these upstarts, Saul met Jesus and became one of them.
If that was not enough, he started preaching to Gentiles all over Europe and Asia, causing a stir among his newfound friends in the church. He started Gentile churches everywhere, which upset the folks back in Jerusalem. The truth is, Paul had it right. God intended to draw all people back to himself. He did not set the nation of Israel apart to form a social club, but to be His ambassadors to the rest of the world. Through Abraham, God would reunite the remainder to a personal relationship with Him.
Paul sensed the irony more than most, as he was on a mission to wipe out this movement. Instead, God took the least likely human and made him the tool to spread His gospel across the globe. This is the same God who used a woman who had been barren for 90+ years to build His nation of priests, a murderous Egyptian prince turned fugitive and shepherd to free and build His people, and a shepherd boy with a handful of rocks to kill a nine foot tall super warrior.
God focuses on using the least likely but best-equipped to complete His plan. It is this proven model that gave Paul the confidence to pour out his life for the Gospel. God wants His chosen to accept the amazing grace and all-powerful Spirit that He provides to empower and propel us into a life of ministry and service. Paul grasped it and even in the midst of persecution and scorn, he was able to spread the gospel all over the Mediterranean, to Rome and then to the world.
We can also take heart that, like Paul, we are chosen by God to execute His plan in our lives. We are each uniquely qualified to reach our world for Him. Our unique journeys provide an audience and a message that God can use to change lives. We, like Paul, need only accept that it is God and not us leading the mission. If we do, it really does not matter what others think or how odd our service may seem. That is God’s business and we can joyfully accept it and walk in confidence that He will prepare us to complete the mission He has set before us!
God bless you
Walking With God 