We Don't Care Where You've Been, We Care Where You're GoingNäide

Ananias had to make a critical decision. Should he play it safe, or should he trust God? The sensical thing to do, of course, is to play it safe. Saul of Tarsus was an extremist who was deadset on destroying the church in Damascus. It would be recklessly suicidal for Ananias to seek him out. The safe choice was for Ananias to stay on the other side of the city, as far away as possible from Saul. The painfully obvious choice was for Ananias to warn the believers in town and leave Damascus as soon as possible.

But fortunately for Saul and almost all of us in the church today, Ananias chose to obey God’s command instead. God revealed to Ananias his plan for Saul. Although he came to Damascus to persecute Christ’s followers, he left the city proclaiming God’s redemptive plan through his son, Jesus.

So even though Ananias may not be excited to risk his life helping an enemy of the church, he still went and laid his hands on Saul. Why? Because he believed in the God who redeems.

Ananias believed that the God who had transformed him could transform anyone. So Ananias went to where Saul stayed to obey God’s command, and the rest is history.

I believe that there are many modern Sauls today. Some extremely violent and dedicated people believe wholeheartedly that the church of Jesus Christ must cease to exist.

I also believe that the same God who transformed Saul back then, the same God who redeemed me many years ago, that same God wants to rescue them today. God can save these Sauls today.

But I’m not sure we have many Ananias in the church today. I worry that not many modern Barnabas are ready to vouch for these former enemies of the gospel and bring them to the church.

We forget that if God could change us, he could change anyone. If God loves me, then he loves them too. If we remember that God wants to give us our second, third, and seventh-seventh chances, then we must be ready for him to extend the same grace to others.

God can change everyone. He doesn’t care where we’ve been. He cares where we’re going. So let’s not be quick to judge. Let’s not be too ready to give up on people. Because if God can save us, he can save everyone.