Saul was a Pig-Zombie

My sweet 6 year-old neighbor taught me about pig-zombies from Minecraft today. Pig-zombies sound cute and horrible all at the same time. For some reason, maybe because the story was on our church teaching schedule, Saul came to mind. Talk about a pig-zombie!! Saul was a pig-zombie!! He persecuted Christ-followers before He was transformed, and became Paul. Saul gives his testimony of transformation in Acts 26:9-20. In the verses, he states “I too was convinced that I ought to do all that was possible to oppose the name of Jesus………..I put many of the Lord’s people in prison, ……….they were put to death,….I was so obsessed with persecuting them that I even hunted them down in foreign cities.”

Wow, Saul really hated Christ followers and defied God. His rebellion makes me think of my own willfulness, my own rebellion against God and disparity with others. God has had mercy on me, but Saul was blinded for three days, then was told by God to be a servant and point others away “from darkness to light.” Saul/Paul became a missionary. He gave everything up, and risked his life to share of the love of Jesus. Missionaries and people in foreign countries risk their lives to worship and follow Jesus. Do I have that kind of love? Am I willing to claim Jesus as my greatest treasure above everything in my life, and turn others from darkness to light? Or, am I a pig-zombie, too?

Saul surrendered to God. I think of that total 180-degree turn that he did. Saul was not just following, but turning his back on his old ways and loving others the Jesus-way, sacrificially. Saul’s perspective and testimony are not new to me, but for some reason, I see it differently today. We are blessed to not have to pray in private or worship privately in America. And, many of us don’t have to wallow in the mud (go through hard trials like Saul’s blindness) before accepting Christ. I pray for people today to surrender to Christ and receive an amazing and peace-filled transformation. Turn away from the darkness of this world to Jesus, and let His Holy Spirit light your way. Focus on the eternal. I pray His focus for our family, friends, church, community, and self. May we all stop being pig-zombies.