Paul as Saul considered himself righteous under the law
(Phil 3:6), but his new self realized that no one is righteous (Rom 3:10). I sure Paul was pretty self-righteous & I
imagine that the blinding, thorns, beatings, & shipwrecks pulled that out
of him. I suspect he was much closer to
meekness at the end of his life when he told Timothy, “Christ Jesus came into
the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost” (1 Tim 1:15).
The transformation in Paul is dramatic. As Saul who was persecuting Christians, he
was nothing but a barrier. But as Paul,
he was the ultimate bridge builder saying “I have become all things to all
people, that by all means I might save some” (1 Cor 9:22). I think that the hardships God allowed in his
life moved Paul from self-righteous to self-less.
How many of us could endure a fraction of what Paul
suffered? How many of us are more likely
to shake our fist at God when times are tough?
Could the hardships in our life actually be the ultimate training for
the bridges we could build if we stay the course? How much more could God use us if we allow
him to change us in this way?
