Damascus Road

On the road to Damascus

I was hung in the ropes of success

When You stripped away the mask of life

They had placed upon the face of death

And all those fortunes I hoarded

They were the well from which my poverty sprang

Oh, they led me to no greater glory

And they left me with no less shame

~Rich Mullins "Damascus Road"

I love Rich Mullins--he was such a soulful writer. My heart is so full-and this song echoes its sentiments. I wonder why we try to chase down false things to fill the empty void in our lives instead of Jesus. Often, when the void is strongest is when God is calling us most. When I'm most disillusioned in life, I'm subsequently usually most overwhelmed with God's crazy love for me. How can I thank Him enough for His graciousness towards me? My life is all I have and all I can give--and I do so gladly.

I was reading the story of Saul's conversion in Acts 9 on Damascus Road and thinking about this song. Often, we think of "Damascus Road" experiences as a "once-in-the-history-of-all-creation" kind of experience, but in reality, all Christians have a "Damascus Road" experience. We are all hung up in the ropes of success--chasing after nothingness, death, and destruction when the bright light of Christ/His sacrifice/His love illuminates our pathway, blinding us and calling us to Him. When Saul asked, "Who are you, Lord?" The Voice from heaven answered and said, "I AM Jesus, whom you persecute. It is hard for you to kick against the pricks." Pricks were wooden shafts with pointed spikes on the end. When the oxen refused to follow the farmer’s command, he would use the prick to jab the oxen into obedience. However, if the oxen kept stubbornly refusing to obey, then the oxen would try to kick the prick, which resulted in the prick going deeper into the oxen’s flesh and causing more pain. The same is true of our disobedience. With each kick, we are wounding ourselves more. Obedience to God avoids the prick and decreases our pain. "When you rebel against God, the only person you hurt is yourself and those who love you."-Pastor Kevin Jones.

Why would God choose to intervene in Saul’s life when Saul was one of God’s enemies/someone who openly persecuted Jesus? Because Saul was “a chosen vessel unto God.” It is really beautiful to see how God loved Saul enough to intervene in his life even when he was at his most rebellious stage and persecuting God. God's intervention is Life. Without it, we are on a collision course to destruction. There is nothing good in us. I'm so thankful for my own Damascus Road--losing the life you knew is scary and painful, but gaining life with Christ is joy unspeakable. I've felt so burdened for the people that I love that are on collision courses of self-destruction, but I know the God of Miracles can do all things. I have faith in His abilities and I pray to Him for mercy for them and to continue changing me.