Foreword: This article is an aftermath of reading Acts 9:10-19.
Damascus, translated Damascus in the NIV, was the site of the apostle Paul's conversion to Christ. After Stephen's martyrdom, many of his disciples fled from Jerusalem to Damascus. Saul (later Paul) pursued him outside the city with the authority of the Sanhedrin, and suddenly he was confronted by a bright light, and a voice questioned him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" Paul was so frightened that he fell to the ground, lost his sight temporarily, and was carried into the city to recuperate. This dramatic scene is only the beginning of the story of conversion, and the story is not yet complete.
When Paul saw a vision while he was recuperating, he would be healed, and Ananias would also see a vision from the Lord. The Lord called one of the disciples of Ananias, an unknown man living in Damascus, to visit Saul and pray for him. The Lord's instructions, Ananias' responses, form three sets of dialogues that are closely linked.
In the first group, the Lord calls Ananias' name, and Ananias responds simply and directly, "Here I am." This is the common experience of several great men of the Old Testament, when the Lord calls the name of so-and-so, and so-and-so responds, "Here I am", both as a roll call and as a reverence for the servant to his master, like Abraham, Jacob, Moses, Samuel, and Isaiah.
In the second group, the Lord explained the details of the task to Ananias and asked him to lay hands on Saul and pray, and Ananias responded specifically with doubts. Wait a minute, who is Saul? First, Saul is notorious for persecuting believers in Jerusalem, and he deserves to be helped because he deserves his crimes? Second, Saul has a priestly mandate to arrest Christians for religious trial, in case this is a trap, and Ananias is even a threat to his life, do I need to take the risk?
"Is he worth helping", if you are a fellowship mentor or a life mentor of a group member, you may encounter someone who is cold to the faith, or a rebellious character, or who is not in tune with you, and the mentor has to take time out of his busy life to receive them, but often to no avail, and it is inevitable that you will have this kind of doubt in your heart.
"Do I need to take risks", our situation may not be to the point where our lives are threatened, but we do not enjoy the satisfaction of ministry, and even have the opportunity to be harmed?
In the third group, the Lord again commanded Ananias, "Go only," and Ananias again gave a simple and direct response, "And he went," and sat down and acted on his words. Ananias' experience shows a real life and reminds us that it is normal for us to have doubts, to have contentions, and even to confront the Lord.
At the same time, however, we do not have any delays, and we cannot wait for all doubts to be resolved satisfactorily before we take action. "Just go" is the challenge of starting with doubts, fearing that the doubts are real, but embarking on the challenge of ministry with courage.
Did the Lord respond to Ananias' doubts?
It can be said that there is no, because the Lord has not given any security guarantees. But did the Lord turn a blind eye to Ananias' doubts?
No, the Lord led Ananias to see Saul's future and let Ananias see his part in God's plan. Because you have accepted this blind Saul and planted his life to grow. It turns out that this faithful service is part of the whole work of the Lord. This vision allows the ministry to bring satisfaction that does not see immediate achievement.
Ananias showed a sense of courage to take responsibility, a real life that was doubtful about the difficulties in front of him, and at the same time showed the courage not to be deterred by the difficulties.