Hello, my name is Jennifer, and I am part of God’s
story. And so is every one of you. Today, we’re going to look at Paul’s story,
and how it might speak to us as we begin a new season together, seeking to follow the call of Christ.
Here is Paul in Philippians, telling his story. This is from
The Voice translation.
4 If any try to throw around their pedigrees to you, remember my résumé—which is more impressive than theirs. 5 I was circumcised on the eighth day—as the law prescribes—born of the nation of Israel, descended from the tribe of Benjamin. I am a Hebrew born of Hebrews; I have observed the law according to the strict piety of the Pharisees, separate from those embracing a less rigorous kind of Judaism. 6 Zealous? Yes. I ruthlessly pursued and persecuted the church. And when it comes to the righteousness required by the law, my record is spotless.
7 But whatever I used to count as my greatest accomplishments, I’ve written them off as a loss because of the Anointed One. 8 And more so, I now realize that all I gained and thought was important was nothing but yesterday’s garbage compared to knowing the Anointed Jesus my Lord. For Him I have thrown everything aside—it’s nothing but a pile of waste—so that I may gain Him. 9 When it counts, I want to be found belonging to Him, not clinging to my own righteousness based on law, but actively relying on the faithfulness of the Anointed One. This is true righteousness, supplied by God, acquired by faith. 10 I want to know Him inside and out. I want to experience the power of His resurrection and join in His suffering, shaped by His death, 11 so that I may arrive safely at the resurrection from the dead.
Paul had every credential of success according to both the
world and the religious establishment. He was born into a respectable, even
prominent family. He was well-educated. He was faithful to his religion—he was
detail-oriented in obeying Jewish law. He was so dedicated to the well-being of
Judaism that he persecuted those troublemakers and rabble-rousers who had the
gall to preach that Jesus was the Messiah. He was secure in himself and his own
righteousness. Until Jesus knocked him to the ground—literally—and turned his
life upside down. Paul heard the call of Christ, and nothing was ever the same.
He threw it all away—his comfortable religious practice, his reputation, most
likely his family and friends, even his personal safety.
But he didn’t throw away his life for a cause, a way of
life, or even a new religion. No, what drove Paul, his ultimate goal, was knowing Jesus. We might say that Paul
devoted his life to spreading the Gospel. But what Paul says is “I want to know Jesus inside and out.” To Paul, the prize is not
success, or self-improvement, or even doing great things for God. The prize is
Jesus himself. And to know Jesus more and more, Paul is willing to leave his
comfortable life behind him, to go through hardship and suffering—even death—if
it will bring him closer to Jesus.
Maybe you have a story like Paul’s. Maybe
you grew up in “the church”—whichever church that might be. You went to Sunday
School, to youth group, maybe even a mission trip or a Christian college.
You were the good girl, the one who followed the rules, the person all the moms
wanted to babysit their kids. As an adult, you went to church faithfully,
brought your children to Sunday School, maybe sang in the choir or went to
Bible studies. You’ve been trying your best all your life to live up to the
expectations of what being a good Christian looks like. And maybe all those
expectations are tiring you out.
Or maybe your story is not like that. Maybe the only time
you walked into a church was for weddings and funerals. Life in your family was
good, but God didn’t figure much into it. Or maybe life in your family wasn’t
so good, and you still carry scars from it. Perhaps you’re still haunted by
mistakes you’ve made, or by dark paths you’ve traveled, either because of your
own choices or someone else’s. Maybe
some days you’re struggling just to keep your head above water.
I’m here to tell you that no matter what your story is, God
wants to be a part of it. Not just a part—God is calling you—calling me—to stop
holding onto our own story so tightly, and allow ourselves to become a part of
His story. The world tells us that we should be masters of our own fate, we
should take control of our lives, pursue our dreams, achieve our goals. But God
calls us to surrender our fate, to give up control, and most of all, to pursue
Him. Life with God is not about following rules or living up to
expectations—our own or anyone else’s. It is about following the gentle call of
Jesus and allowing him to heal and shape us.
When God’s story intersected with Paul’s story, Paul was
completely and utterly changed. Not all of us will have a dramatic Damascus
road experience (although some of us will). But all of us can seek to know
Jesus more and more, to ask Him to shape our story. That’s why we’re here.
That’s why Women of the Word exists, as a way to seek Jesus together.
Over the next few months, will you allow God’s story to
intersect with yours? How will your story change—how will my story change—as we
open our hearts and our lives and ask God to tell His story through us? I can’t
wait to find out.
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