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"Lord, What Do
You Want Me To Do?"
If
there was a list of those in the first century who
were least likely to become Christians, Saul of Tarsus
would have ranked near the top, if not the top! Saul was a very religious man. In fact, he
believed it was God’s will for him to try to eradicate
Christianity from the face of the earth (Acts 26:9). But on the road to Damascus he encountered Christ, and
his life was forever changed.
We read of Saul’s conversion to Christ in Acts 9. In Acts 22 and 26 we find two accounts that Saul
(whose name was changed to Paul) gave concerning his conversion. When we read the accounts of his
conversion, we witness the power of the Gospel of
Jesus Christ. We learn many lessons from his
conversion, but let’s focus in on one lesson in
particular.
In Acts 9:1-6, we find that Saul, "still breathing
threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord,
went to the high priest and asked letters from him to
the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any
who were of the Way [i.e., Christianity],
whether men or women, he might bring them bound to
Jerusalem. As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and
suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. Then he
fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him,
‘Saul, Saul, why are you
persecuting Me?’ And he said, ‘Who are You,
Lord?’ Then the Lord said, "I am
Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to
kick against the goads" (Acts 9:1-5).
Now notice Saul’s next question: "So he,
trembling and astonished, said, "Lord, what
do You want me to do?" (Acts 9:6a).
What a tremendous question!
When you and I reach the point in our lives when we
humble ourselves and ask, “Lord, what do You want me
to do?”, we are in the right position to find the will
of God for our lives.
Saul didn’t ask, “What do I want?” Neither did Paul say, “I think the Lord’s will
is…” He had been guilty of asking those
questions in the past. Now that he had been
confronted by Christ, he asked, “Lord, what do
You want me to do?”
Saul thought he already knew God’s will, but he was
wrong. You and I can be just as wrong. We
also need to ask, “Lord, what do You want me to do?”
When it comes to our salvation and living the kind of
life that God wants us to live, it is a question of
Lordship. The word “Lord” means master or ruler. The question that you and I need to answer is, “Who is
my lord?” If we are honest, most of the time our
answer is, “I am the lord of my life. I do what
I want to do.” However, if we want to be saved
from our sins and live truly abundant lives, we must
humble ourselves and ask, “Lord, what do You want me
to do?”
In answer to Saul’s question, the Lord responded by
saying, "Arise and go into the city, and you will be
told what you must do" (Acts 9:6). God sent Ananias to Saul, who was now a penitent believer, and
instructed him saying, “Arise and be baptized, and
wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord"
(Acts 22:16). Then Ananias told Saul about the
wonderful plans that the Lord had for his life (Acts
22:17-18), a life to be filled with a glorious mission
of teaching others about Christ, who is the Savior and
the Lord.
Our response must be that of Saul’s: believing
in Christ, we must repent of our sins and be baptized
so that our sins can be washed away (Acts 2:38;
22:16). Then, as Saul, we must live out our
lives in submission to our Lord, who loved us enough
to give His life for us (see Galatians 2:20).
Will you ask, “Lord, what
do You want me to do?”
God bless you.
David A. Sargent,
Minister
Church of Christ at Creekwood
1901 Schillinger Rd. S.
Mobile, Alabama 36695
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