Why do you Resist The Holy Spirit?

Missed opportunities in our conversion story… Now when you have finally decided to give your life to Jesus you feel a sense of peace and freedom. If you don’t feel this then i understand that everyone’s experience may differ but this is what I felt and feel when I serve God.

Now with this I want you to know that I do have regrets. The regrets I have are when God has asked me to do something and I decided instead to serve myself rather than Him. The regret is because not only did I disobey God when he has done so much for me, it is because I could have helped someone. In turning away from God not only did I harm myself I harmed others. I harmed others in them not being able to hear my testimony or see my example. In fact in many instances because I acted selfishly the example they saw and were influenced by was of a man only caring about himself. In doing this maybe they believed that this was a good example to follow or helped them to lose faith when I could have been there to boost it up.

When I think of this I think of Paul. When the Bible refers to him as Saul he was on the way to Damascus to put more followers of Jesus into prison. It is on this road that he sees a great light and hears Jesus speak to him. Saul becomes blind and is brought to Damascus by the hand and is converted.

I start to wonder if Paul had regrets of what he did as Saul. I wonder if Paul in Damascus blind physically but can see clearly now the times Jesus tried to reach him. The many Christians that he threw into prison did they have any words of wisdom? Stephen spoke to the Sanhedrin with Saul present and his face shone like that of an angel (Acts 6:15) Did the words of Stephen hit Saul’s heart? Did Paul think of Stephen in Damascus and how he consented to his stoning?

I strongly believe one of the reasons Saul of Tarsus who we know as Paul is mentioned right after Stephen’s stoning is because Saul missed an opportunity. Saul could have been converted at the sermon of Stephen but with a stubborn decided not to listen just as Stephen said in Acts 7:51, “You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you.”

Now Saul bing mentioned puts into context the great persecution of the Christians and also the context of who Paul was before he was converted but its also a great message to us today.

God will speak to us in many ways and many avenues and when we finally no longer resist the Holy Spirit we will rejoice in starting life anew but another thing I think we will realize when we accept God… is all the times God tried to reach us before and we ignored Him and all the opportunities we could have had if we no longer resisted.

How amazing that God never gives up and keeps trying until we finally open our eyes and realize He wants to be in our lives.