As we are being transformed

There's something profoundly unsettling about encountering the living God. It disrupts everything we think we know, challenges every carefully constructed belief, and demands a response that changes us forever.

The story of Saul's conversion on the Damascus road isn't just history—it's a mirror held up to our own spiritual journeys, revealing the beautiful and sometimes uncomfortable process of transformation that every follower of Christ experiences.

The Zealous Persecutor
Before his dramatic encounter with Jesus, Saul was a man of remarkable credentials. Trained under the renowned rabbi Gamaliel, he was a Pharisee's Pharisee—zealous, confident, and absolutely convinced of his righteous mission. His identity was wrapped up in his religious pedigree and his unwavering commitment to protecting Judaism from what he saw as a dangerous heretical sect.

What's striking is that Saul wasn't motivated by hatred. He genuinely believed he was serving God by persecuting Christians. In his mind, Jesus of Nazareth was a false messiah, cursed according to the law for being hung on a tree. The growing Christian movement represented an existential threat to everything he held sacred.

Consider the lengths he went to: an eight to twelve-day journey to Damascus, armed with letters of authority to arrest any followers of "the Way." This wasn't casual opposition—this was dedicated, zealous commitment to what he believed was God's will.

How often do we, like Saul, convince ourselves that our plans align with God's purposes when we're actually working against them?

The Blinding Light
"Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?"

Those words shattered everything. In an instant, the persecutor became the pursued. The hunter became the hunted. The confident religious leader was struck blind and helpless, led by the hand into the very city where he had planned to arrest believers.

Saul asked Jesus the most important question anyone can face: "Who are you, Lord?"

This question cuts to the heart of genuine faith. Transformation begins not with what we believe about ourselves, but with who we acknowledge Jesus to be. Until we truly see Him—not as we imagine Him to be, but as He reveals Himself—we remain spiritually blind, no matter how religious or zealous we might appear.

Jesus told Saul something fascinating: "It is hard for you to kick against the goads." This agricultural metaphor referred to the pointed stick used to guide stubborn oxen. The animal that resisted only hurt itself more. The Holy Spirit had been convicting Saul long before this moment, and his resistance was only causing him pain.

Are there areas in your life where you're resisting the gentle prodding of the Holy Spirit? Where stubbornness is causing unnecessary suffering?

Yielding Without All the Answers
Saul's immediate response reveals something crucial about genuine transformation: "What do you want me to do?"

Notice what Jesus didn't tell him. He didn't outline the incredible ministry that awaited. He didn't mention the churches that would be planted, the letters that would be written, or the lives that would be changed. He certainly didn't detail the beatings, imprisonments, and eventual martyrdom that lay ahead.

Jesus simply said: "Go into the city, and you will be told what to do."

This is where many of us struggle. We want the complete plan, the detailed roadmap, the guaranteed outcome before we take the first step. We want our faith journey wrapped in a neat package with a pretty bow on top.

But God rarely works that way. He gives us enough evidence to believe, but not so much that faith becomes unnecessary. He asks us to take the next step without revealing the entire staircase.

The question isn't whether we have all the information. The question is whether we're willing to obey with what we've been given.

The Evidence of Change
When Saul finally regained his sight through the faithful obedience of Ananias, the transformation was immediately evident. The man who came to Damascus to arrest Christians was now proclaiming Jesus in the synagogues. The persecutor had become the preacher.

People were understandably amazed. "Isn't this the man who made havoc in Jerusalem?" they asked. The evidence of his transformation was undeniable—not because he was perfect, but because his life had radically changed direction.

True transformation produces visible fruit. It's not about achieving perfection overnight, but about a clear trajectory of change that others can observe. When someone genuinely encounters Jesus, their life doesn't just get adjusted—it gets redirected entirely.

Can people who have known you for years see evidence of transformation in your life? More importantly, can you see it yourself?

The Long Road of Faithfulness
Here's a truth that challenges our instant-gratification culture: Saul's life was changed in a moment, but his ministry was shaped over years.

We live in a world of immediate results. We want instant clarity, immediate acceptance, quick resolutions, and visible fruit right now. But spiritual transformation doesn't work on our timeline. God doesn't rush us into prominence; He walks us into faithfulness.

The journey from the Damascus road to the missionary journeys took time. There were years of preparation, seasons of obscurity, and countless moments of simply being faithful when no one was watching.

It's easy to get discouraged when we don't see instant transformation—in ourselves or in others. We wonder why change takes so long, why clarity doesn't come immediately, why growth feels so gradual.

But transformation is a lifelong process. There will never be a day on this side of eternity when we no longer need to be transformed. Every day presents new opportunities to yield more completely, to trust more fully, to follow more faithfully.

The Question That Changes Everything
Saul's story ultimately comes down to a single question: "Who are you, Lord?"

How you answer that question determines everything else. It's the foundation of genuine transformation. When we truly see Jesus for who He is—not a religious figure to manage, not a cosmic vending machine to serve our desires, but the risen Lord who has authority over every aspect of our lives—everything changes.

The evidence of a true encounter with Jesus is unmistakable: pride gives way to humility, control surrenders to obedience, the pursuit of comfort transforms into endurance, and the demand for immediacy matures into faithfulness.

So where are you in your journey of transformation? Have you had that genuine encounter with Jesus where you've asked, "Who are you?" and then followed it with, "What do you want me to do?"

Are there areas where you're still kicking against the goads, resisting the gentle conviction of the Holy Spirit? Are you waiting for all the details before you take the next step of obedience?

The journey of transformation isn't easy, and it's never complete in this lifetime. But it begins with a simple, honest prayer: "Lord, here am I. Send me."