For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born (I Corinthians 15:3-8).

Paul’s salvation experience fascinates me because it completely transformed his life. Before he was a believer, he was called Saul. He was the persecutor of Christians. He hungered to protect what he believed in passionately at that time- His Jewish beliefs. These beliefs fueled his actions and his life’s purpose.  Saul would have been the last person anyone would have predicted would become, not only a believer in Jesus but a key leader of the Christian movement!

Despite Saul’s staunch opposition, God knew that there was a hunger inside of him for the true and living God that just needed to be awakened.  This hunger is something we are all born with, as we are designed to be in a relationship with God. However, Saul sought to satisfy this hunger with the wrong things, believing in falsehoods that left him unfulfilled.

It took a dramatic experience to open his eyes to the truth. God sought him out on the road to Damascus and Paul’s life did a 180-degree turn.  All of that fire that had once fueled his previous belief became redirected toward God and spreading the life-changing message of salvation that he shared in his letter to the Corinthians. He became one of the most influential apostles and missionaries in the early Christian church.

My salvation experience wasn’t as dramatic as Paul's. I became a believer when I was 4 years old. I was in my Sunday School class at church and my teacher, Ms. Betty, led me in a prayer to ask Jesus to forgive my sins and lead my life. Even at that young age, my mom recalled that there was a change in me. God had awakened a hunger inside of me that is still present today.  This hunger for God grew as I got to know God more deeply. My change wasn’t instantaneous. It happened slowly over time as God sent many people to disciple me and help me grow as a Christian. 

Have you had an encounter with God where you became aware of your sin and your need for Him? The way God speaks to us may be very different, but his desire for a relationship is the same. He wants to awaken the God-directed hunger present in all of us.