Re:Verse reading–Acts 23:11, 25:12, 28:16-31 (day three)
“For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him.” This situation looks like an old man who’s finally settled down after his nomadic ways and now spends his days regaling wide-eyed young hangers-on with war stories, doesn’t it? Don’t be fooled. The man in this narrative is none other than Paul “Straining-Toward-What-Is-Ahead” the Apostle. In his welcoming guests to his home, he is wielding the shaping power for the future of the human race. In these “Rome sessions”, he’s teaching people, forming spirits, enlightening minds. He speaks not of the old days, but of new possibilities. He’s hasn’t “ended up”, but rather he presses on. We think aging means fading. Paul new the older he grew, the newer he became. And that’s what he showed the world.
God gave Paul the vision. Paul was a man with a vision. A meaningful Christian life is a life in which we believe God is present in all situations and in which we see challenges but also see opportunities and possibilities. A life is worthy of living when we see opportunities. Problems and our past do not define us. We define who we are based on what we take on to shape our future destination.
A positive mind, in my view, is a mind that is filled with the Holy Spirit, hope, joy, unlimited possibilities, and full of God’s promises for our future. A positive mind always sees opportunities and possibilities for the future even in controversy and even when situations seem desperate.
Paul definitely lived his life for Jesus and he saw possibilities and opportunities for the expansion of the gospel of Jesus Christ. A man with a vision will not give up when the going gets tough but will prepare and develop strategies to fight harder for a cause that is bigger than himself or herself. The goal is his or her destination. Jesus was Paul’s only goal. Paul did not give up the hard fight for Jesus and for God’s glory but he determined to press on. Pressing on and moving forward were his motivation to achieve God’s vision for his assignments.
Positive minds will lead us to see unlimited possibilities and unlimited opportunities. For each challenge, we will discover opportunities. We shape our own future and destination. Paul shaped the future of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He grasped the opportunities to talk about God’s truth even when he was confined in “Rome prison” for the whole two years.
Paul set up great examples for us to follow. Don’t give up when the going gets tough. Men cannot set our destination. We shape our destination with the help of the Holy Spirit and God will show and lead the way. A meaningful life is a life in which we see a future. There will be joy, hope, and happiness for each generation, the young as well as the old. We just have to follow Paul’s examples and shape our journey for personal and spiritual life.
What will you need to press on to move you forward to your destination in life and in your spiritual path? What are your barriers? What is your vision for yourself and for your loved ones? What is God’s vision for you? What lessons have you learned from Paul’s examples? I look forward to learning of your thoughts!
Great assessment, summed in your last few sentences!
While we come into this world in a state that requires growth toward maturity, are not our spirits meant to move more toward the child-like position of constant growth and relearning, with an ever-expanding understanding of our created lives?