Religion vs. the Real Thing

"Placing his hands on Saul, he said, 'Brother Saul, the Lord — Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here — has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.'"
Acts 9:17 (NIV)

There is a man in Damascus who does not want God’s assignment. His name is Ananias. God tells him to go find Saul of Tarsus, who is the most feared enemy the early church has ever faced, and lay hands on him and pray for him. Saul has been traveling 150 miles with arrest warrants, hunting down followers of Jesus. He has a kill list, and Ananias knows all of it.

What Ananias doesn't know is what Jesus has already done to Saul on the road.

Ananias goes anyway. He puts his hands on Saul and says, "Brother Saul." The next thing that happens is everything Saul spent his entire life working against. He is filled with the Holy Spirit.

Three things happen to Saul in that room. He sees the light, gains his sight, and receives God's might. And for the first time in his life, this man, who has the finest religious education available, realizes that religion itself can actually become an obstacle to God. God does not want a performance. He wants a relationship.

You can attend every service, follow every rule, and still miss what Saul discovered in that room. Genuine change does not start at the surface and work its way inward. It starts at the center and works its way out. Open your hands today. Not to earn anything, but to receive what God has already been trying to give you.

Prayer: Father, I have spent more time performing than receiving. Today I want the real thing. Not religion, but relationship. Fill me the way You filled Saul, not because I deserve it, but because You give it freely. In Jesus' Name, Amen.