Text: Galatians 1:1-24
“He who used to persecute us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.”—Galatians 1:23
“What’s your wish?”
When the creator and co-founder of a nonprofit that helps fulfill the wishes of children with critical illnesses was asked that question, he responded: “To have my story told…” Wish Man, the biographical film based on the life of Frank Shankwitz, became the fulfillment of that wish.
Shankwitz was a motorcycle cop with a troubled past who survived a near-fatal accident during a high-speed pursuit, and was left searching for the meaning of his life. As part of his rehabilitation, he reluctantly took on the assignment of spending time with a 7-yr old boy dying of leukemia, whose only wish was to be a Highway Patrol motorcycle officer. An unlikely friendship is born… and so is a hero.
That Arizona police officer later told a group of colleagues, “I’ve been a fighter all my life, and I’m tired of not knowing what to fight for.” He then announced a new path for his life, starting a nonprofit organization. The Make-A-Wish Foundation was conceived, and 40 years later, with the help of tens of thousands of volunteers, every 34 minutes a wish is granted for a child diagnosed with a critical illness.
It’s tragic to be a “fighter” and not know “what to fight for.” Fortunately, Shankwitz found his purpose. His story reminds me of another “fighter” who needed to find his real purpose in life. Saul was a first century religious zealot who was obsessed with fighting the wrong battles. He was persecuting early Christians and seeking to annihilate their mission and censor their message. But that all changed when he encountered God on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:1-19).
Saul had a life-changing and literal “eye-opening” experience, realized he was on the wrong side of history, converted to Jesus, and consequently spent the rest of his life fighting the right cause. In Galatians 1:13-16, he writes:
“For you have heard of my former life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it. And I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people, so extremely zealous was I for the traditions of my fathers. But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone…”
Paul’s dying “wish” can be summed up in these words: “If only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24). His story reminds us that it’s never too late to start fighting the right battles, no matter how long we’ve been on the wrong side of the fight. It takes humility to admit you have been on the wrong path and turn your life over to Jesus, but it is always worth it. Paul’s wish also reveals that no matter how badly we have messed up in the past or hurt others, God’s grace is greater. The gospel still has power, the cross still declares forgiveness, the truth still sets people free, and the stories can still be redeemed, offering testimonies of God’s grace for others to find hope in Jesus.
Where have you been fighting the wrong battles? Is God revealing to you a change in direction you need to take? Think about that as you seek to abide in Him this week.
PRAYER
Heavenly Father, thank you for the life-changing message of the cross and the power to change. Holy Spirit, reveal any battles in our lives that we have been fighting in vain or for the wrong purposes, and teach us how to fight the good fight that you have ordained. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
