Our thoughts are powerful things. They can lead to happiness or they can lead to a life of pain for ourselves and/or others. Fortunately, our thoughts can become congruent with thoughts of God and his great goodness. Such thoughts will lead to eternal happiness. We just have to do the work necessary for this to happen. This work that can only be done with the help of our Triune God. When we put on the mind of God we will experience more fully the life he offers us. Paul came to know this life very well. He must have experienced what it feels like to have a mind conformed to the mind of God.
In our first reading we read about Saul “still breathing murderous threats against the disciples of the Lord,…”. However, before Saul could breathe murderous threats he had to think murderous thoughts. Given that we have upwards of 70,000 thoughts a day (that’s 50 a minute!) there is plenty of room to think good or bad thoughts. Our thoughts are born of a combination of our life experiences, our prayers, our reading, our actions, the messages we receive from God, and yes – the messages the Evil one sends our way. Our minds are constantly being “programmed”. Fortunately, we have a lot to say about this programming. If we want God centered thoughts then we need to subject our mind to God centered things – things centered around prayer, love, and forgiveness. Something Saul didn’t do when he was persecuting Christians.
Paul’s Conversion
Paul’s conversion experience was a bit unique wasn’t it? God had a plan for this man, a plan that stood at the foundation of the transformation of the world. It began with something I like to call “pattern interrupt”. I use this term in my work when I see a client carry an old pattern that needs to be transformed for healing – whether that is physical, emotional, or spiritual healing. Saul’s old thought pattern was not congruent with the plan God had for his life and it needed to be interrupted! So how do you stop a strong, powerful man who has the ability to lead like Saul? Well, taking away his sight and speaking to him in no uncertain terms will do.
This is just what God did. He stepped into Saul’s life with a divine pattern interrupt. I found it interesting that Saul lost his sight for three days and that he didn’t eat or drink for three days as well. It made me think of the Pascal Mystery and the three days the disciples experienced the divine absence of Jesus. Saul experienced the absence, and death, of his former self over three days.
Ananias’ Fear
Ananias’ fear reminds us that there is a world around us bigger than what we preceive. We are immersed in a force, God’s force, like a little fish immersed in the sea. The fish can never understand the power of the sea, and likewise, we can never understand the power of God. Ananias trusted in this force – he trusted in God. While Ananias had thoughts of fear, he also had many thoughts of God. His “God thoughts” gave him strength – the strength needed to approach the powerful and scary Saul. It was these thoughts that allowed God to use Ananias as a very important, and rather ordinary, instrument of salvation.
And how did Ananias find Saul – he found him praying! What a turn-around. A divine pattern interrupt indeed. From murderer to the man we know as Paul all inside of a few days. If we ever doubt that God is in the miracle business hopefully we will be reminded of Saul who became our beloved Paul.
Shedding Our Old Self
Like Paul, we too must shed our old self – our “Saul”, before we can conform to God’s will for our life. God has a plan for each and every one of us. He uses the Ananias’ of the world and the Paul’s of the world for his good – not that there has ever been another Paul, but I think you get the idea. Sometimes God comes in with his divine pattern interrupt like he did with Paul. Other times God allows us to move towards him like I’m guessing he did with Ananias. Either way, our minds must conform with God’s mind if we are to become his servants.
The scales of Saul’s eyes needed to shed before he could become the man God created him to be – Saint Paul. The scales of murderous thoughts, anger, pride, and who knows what else needed to go so he could see clearly. All of those scales created the clouded lens that Saul saw the world through – a lens that caused him to persecute Jesus’ followers. Our scales cloud our vision too. We must, like Saul, shed our scales before we can see clearly the path God has for us. It is a journey of a lifetime. Our Triune God gave us the freedom to choose him – to love him above all else. He has showed us the Way – his Son, whose body and blood we are invited to receive and become renewed with. We must persevere as Paul tells us in Acts and let those scales fall. It’s a journey worth taking.
Yet I consider life of no importance to me, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to bear witness to the gospel of God’s grace. – Acts 20:24
Global Light For Christ
If you are in need of prayers so you can shed your scales then you are in good company! Our little prayer community, Global Light For Christ, would love to pray for you. You are invited to share your prayer request below, or email it to me privately. I for one need to shed some scales. You are also invited to join all of us in prayer – the more the merrier. Together, through prayer and perseverance, we can surrender to God and watch the difference he makes in the world as we receive clearer eyesight.
God bless all of you. See you next week Friday – Carolyn
God the Father – hold us in your Fatherly love.
God the Son – bring us to yourself.
God the Holy Spirit – immerse us in divine love.
Today’s Readings: Acts 9:1-20; Psalm 117:1BC, 2; Alleluia John 6:56; John 6: 52-59
