Almost Persuaded?

www.bible.com/72/rom.8.38-39.hcsb

I believe that Paul’s letter to the Romans predates Felix’s speech where he says to Paul, “Thou almost persuadest me to be a Christian.” What a contrast. Though many of us are Christians today, are we fully persuaded as Paul was that we would never be separated from the love of Christ?

Now most would say, “Yes, of course I am persuaded, even convinced. I will never be separated from the love of Christ.” There are times in my own life that my certainty came into question, as 8’m sure there have been in yours. After I lost my first church back in 1997, I wasn’t even sure if I was in the will of God, let alone His love. Now I’ve got nothing on Paul, who was not only often rejected, but often stoned, beat, and nearly killed by many churches. But I can tell you that it hurt very much. I was in a depression for a year after it happened. My poor wife bore me up, but even she had her limits. If I wasn’t in school at the time, I probably would have given up completely. I spent a year out of ministry, just trying to figure out what God wanted with me. He finally called me back in, and blessed my wife and I exceptionally, but only after we had been broken and cried out to Him in desperate prayer. We discovered He had not abandoned us after all, but put us through a time of suffering until we learned to come back to Him. Until we were persuaded once again of His love.

I imagine some of you are going through a similar time. Maybe worse, maybe not, but you are questioning if God has a purpose for you. God put you on his planet for a reason. You may not find out what it is until you see Him, but I believe even the child born who cannot have a “meaningful” life has a purpose to serve in this world. Be faithful, be broken before Him, be the vessel He needs you to be. Be persuaded that even now, He loves you. Never let go of that.

God bless you today my friend.