But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. (Phil. 3:7)

THE CONVERSATION MAY HAVE gone something like this: “What is wrong with Paul? With his education, money, and religious background, he could have been someone. And now he’s throwing it away to be one of those Christians!”

Paul, originally named Saul, had been extremely “religious” and had followed the law faithfully. He fought the Christians to the point of being responsible for the deaths of many. When Stephen, the first Christian martyr, was stoned to death, Paul had guarded the cloaks of those who threw the stones.

Look at the change in Paul, however, in our Bible reading today. All of those things that had been so important to him he now considered to be rubbish. Paul’s one burning desire was to know Jesus Christ and to allow Him to rule in his life.

What made the difference between a man whose sole purpose in life seemed to be to kill as many Christians as possible and one who was willing to give his life, if necessary, to serve Christ?

The answer is that one day, on the road to Damascus, Paul had a life-changing meeting with the living Christ. Even though his eyes were blinded temporarily, they soon were opened wide to the need of winning others to his Lord and Savior (Acts 9:3–12).

As modeled by Paul, allow Christ full control in your life.

Norma C. Mezoe lives in Sandborn, Indiana, where she is active in her church. She began writing after a crisis and has been a published writer for thirty years.