Acts 22:19-21
And I (Paul) said, Lord, they know that I imprisoned them and beat in every synagogue them that believed on thee: and when the blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by, and consenting unto his death, and kept the raiment of them that slew him. And he said unto me, Depart, for I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles.
Okay, so back when Paul was Saul, he beat Christians, he allowed Stephen to be killed in the name of Christ. Paul is sitting here saying to Jesus, Lord, I don't know how I'm supposed to wittness for you because I literally destroyed or beat people who spoke Your name! How can you use me, God? People know the person I've been! And Jesus is saying, Paul, go, depart, for I'm going to send you unto the Gentiles. Paul, GO, you are to be used by me now!
Notice how after that, Paul doesn't keep questioning God. He doesn't say, "But God...". God told him to GO, and what does he do? He goes. Paul knew that God was using him and although he didn't understand it, he believed that God had an ultimate best. When God tells us to go, we have to trust that even though we don't deserve to serve such an amazing Savior, He has given us the command and we are to follow.
You may be thinking God can't use you. After all you've done, all you've been, all you've seen or all you experienced, how could God possibly work through you? Look at Paul. God still wanted to use him even after he had allowed people to DIE because of Christ. If you think God can't use you, you are a fool. God doesn't cal the qualified, he qualifies the called. He wants to use every single broken vessle and create a masterpiece out of them. God in His perfect soveriegnty can melt you back to clay, and mold you according to His will. Allow God to change you like He changed Saul. When Saul turned to Paul, he became a man on fire for the Lord. His life is proof that God can use the even most beaten, battered, and broken lives and create something more beautiful out of them than you could ever have imagined.
And I (Paul) said, Lord, they know that I imprisoned them and beat in every synagogue them that believed on thee: and when the blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by, and consenting unto his death, and kept the raiment of them that slew him. And he said unto me, Depart, for I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles.
Okay, so back when Paul was Saul, he beat Christians, he allowed Stephen to be killed in the name of Christ. Paul is sitting here saying to Jesus, Lord, I don't know how I'm supposed to wittness for you because I literally destroyed or beat people who spoke Your name! How can you use me, God? People know the person I've been! And Jesus is saying, Paul, go, depart, for I'm going to send you unto the Gentiles. Paul, GO, you are to be used by me now!
Notice how after that, Paul doesn't keep questioning God. He doesn't say, "But God...". God told him to GO, and what does he do? He goes. Paul knew that God was using him and although he didn't understand it, he believed that God had an ultimate best. When God tells us to go, we have to trust that even though we don't deserve to serve such an amazing Savior, He has given us the command and we are to follow.
You may be thinking God can't use you. After all you've done, all you've been, all you've seen or all you experienced, how could God possibly work through you? Look at Paul. God still wanted to use him even after he had allowed people to DIE because of Christ. If you think God can't use you, you are a fool. God doesn't cal the qualified, he qualifies the called. He wants to use every single broken vessle and create a masterpiece out of them. God in His perfect soveriegnty can melt you back to clay, and mold you according to His will. Allow God to change you like He changed Saul. When Saul turned to Paul, he became a man on fire for the Lord. His life is proof that God can use the even most beaten, battered, and broken lives and create something more beautiful out of them than you could ever have imagined.