“But rise and stand upon your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and witness to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you” (Acts 26:16).
“Paul, called by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus … to the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 1:1-2).
These two verses exemplify the great purpose God had for Paul when he first appeared to him on the road to Damascus. The first thing Jesus does when he is about to change our life is appear to us. Maybe not in physical form, but he begins to make all the difference in the world and turn our world upside down. After telling us to “rise and stand on our feet,” he starts to reveal to us his new purpose.
There is a period of time that we are given to be on Earth (see Hebrews 9:27), but we are not saved just to get to heaven when we die. No, God has a purpose for each of us. Jesus gave Paul a specific purpose in his life and we see in Acts 26:16 that is was to be “a servant and witness.”
As a Christian, you are called to serve and to be a witness of Jesus Christ to those around you. What has God done for you? What have you seen God do for others?
At another time Jesus said, “Go therefore and make disciples …and, behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19). Because you are a servant of Christ, he is always with you, equipping you to be a witness to those you encounter. That is your highest purpose!