Turning History into His Story

I was meditating on Acts 26 earlier this morning and the impact of Paul's testimony about his encounter with God still leaves me feeling amazed. I hear some people saying that Paul is a very different person than the average Juan. Not really.

Paul was born a Roman citizen from Jewish parents in Tarsus. He spent years studying under the tutelage of Gamaliel and eventually became a Pharisee.

Paul hails from a respectable family background. He did well in his education and eventually had a job puts him in a very important position in society at that time.

Eventually, in his work, he started having opportunities which encouraged him to go beyond the extra mile to gain recognition from his peers and superiors. He started persecuting Christians because it was his job and the satisfaction gained from the approval of his fellow Pharisees fueled him to push forward.

Family, educational background, and the dream job. These three things are familiar motivations. As you can see, Paul was practically the model the world desires. Of course, the persecution is not necessarily the same but wouldn't a lot of people practically step on others just to put themselves up the pedestal?

What happened next put Paul's life upside down. He encountered God personally and do you know what he did? He decided to follow Jesus. Everything changed from then on.

God didn't put Paul on probation. God didn't evaluate Paul before He welcomed Paul into the family. What God did was take Paul's decision into account and started moving.

Do you know what happened to Paul's history as a Pharisee? God didn't just bury that under the rug or even erase it. He allowed things to progress in a way that Paul's experiences, knowledge, and skills became indispensable in the ministry that grew into huge proportions.

The bottom line is no matter who you have been, God will still be able to transform bad experiences into stepping stones for you to live your life according to the original design of God. No experience is too small, embarrassing, or despicable that God cannot use in creating something beautiful.

History cannot limit God's ability to create new beginnings. Your past, your mistakes, and your failures will always be turned into His story (and you will be the main character) if you let Him. In fact, history can become one of your valuable tools toward accomplishing great things for God.

If Paul can have his old life turned upside down and replaced with a life that changed the lives of countless people generation after generation, so can you. You just need to make the right decision to remain at the center of God's will.