We sometimes hear people saying: "You cannot teach an old dog new tricks" or "a leopard cannot change its spots." Such sayings seem to imply that people, especially when they have reach a certain age or if they have certain attitudes, cannot change no matter how hard others try to help them. Some of us begin to tolerate such persons, or if they are so difficult to get along with, some of us even begin to avoid them or shun them. The funny thing is, what seems impossible to us humans is not a problem with God. God can change people, and a person who was once so mean, wicked, difficult, obnoxious or even dangerous, could
change to become a better person.
In today's
reading, we come across one such person named Paul, who tells us: "You
must have heard of my career as a practising Jew, how merciless I was in
persecuting the Church of God, how much damage I did to it, how I stood
out among other Jews of my generation, and how enthusiastic I was for
the traditions of my ancestors. Then God, who had specially chosen me
while I was still in my mother’s womb, called me through his grace and
chose to reveal his Son in me, so that I might preach the Good News
about him to the pagans." God changed Paul by transforming him from a persecutor of the faith, to a
great defender of the faith, and even eventually died for the faith.
So What
does this mean to us? It means that God will take care of things, and we just need to be patient and trust in Him. If God can change a person like Paul, and use him for His
glory, just imagine what God could do for us, if we are humble and
willing to let God be in control.
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