St. Paul the Apostle is a fascinating person. His journey through the spiritual life, first as an ardent anti-Christian, and then as the face of a growing evangelical mission church all across the globe, can give us some fruitful areas to pray and reflect upon as we consider our own spiritual journey through this life.
In doing so, we can get some sense of the revelation
given to St. Paul about our life as Christians. Since revelation is the
unveiling of God’s plan to us, it “clues us in” to what He is doing with us and
through us. It also helps us have a deeper appreciation of how we are called to
live our lives for His purpose—not our own.
St. Paul's spiritual journey is proof that God can
“write straight with crooked lines” in our own lives. The writings of St. Paul
give us a wealth of beautiful commentary on the Christian life. He gives us a
deeper understanding, and helpful explanations of, how the Gospels define the
way we must live the Christian life.
+ + +
Romans 8:6: To set the mind on the flesh
is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.
St. Paul reminds us that our mind must be turned to
the Holy Spirit and how we are to cooperate in the life of Christ. What starts
in our thoughts often turns to both words and deeds. If we are more focused on
worldly things, we will soon find ourselves in the unhappy position of working
towards those ends; but if we turn our mind first to God and His will, then our
words and deeds will follow!
1 Corinthians 1:30: He is the source of
your life in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness
and sanctification and redemption…
We are from God and God is in us from the very start.
Since we should do everything for Him, St. Paul recalls that God is our energy
source for living in a Christ-like manner. Christ personifies the wisdom,
faith, and mercy to humanity – are we not also called to help, serve, and be
Christ to others in all we do, say, and think?
Galatians 2:20: and it is no longer I who
live, but it is Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I
live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
The conversion of our hearts allows us to live anew.
We are called to a constant conversion of heart, because we need to be
restored. In our own journey, we will require numerous “restorations” from time
to time. Life is hard, but the journey is one of faith in God. Remembering the
sacrifice and humiliation of Jesus on the cross is a reminder of what He gave
up for us. That should always pick us up when the journey gets hard or slow. We
should pause to give thanks for the gift of His Son and the gift of Himself.
Ephesians 2:10: For we are what he has
made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand
to be our way of life.
St. Paul wrote to the communities he helped found that
as believer in Jesus Christ, we live for both the faith and the action. Action
without faith is worldly and presumptive of selfishness, while faith without
action is hollow and unhelpful. Our way of life, St. Paul notes, is all about
doing both—not for ourselves, but for those around us. After all, what is a
journey without those people we meet along the way? What memories do we make if
we have no one to share it with? For us as Christians, it’s not just the
journey but also the Heavenly destination!
Philippians 1:27: Only, live your life in
a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that, whether I come and see you or
am absent and hear about you, I will know that you are standing firm in one
spirit, striving side by side with one mind for the faith of the gospel…
The Letter to the Philippians is an exhortation of the
traits of Jesus that St. Paul advises us to imitate. St. Paul is using the
behavior of Christ to help us understand to love one another, fully and without
reservation. We can do this, and work to attain holiness, through a variety of individual
good works, but also in faith, such as loving God and praising Him; giving the
Lord our fears and anxieties; and praying often. But mostly it comes in bring
together and working as one for the betterment of our community, and our
brothers and sisters and their souls. It’s a magnificent opportunity to life
the faith of the gospel in a real and superb way. Our Christian calling is to
live, work, and pray together as one people—diverse but unified, without strife
or division.
2 Timothy 3:10: Now you have observed my
teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my
steadfastness…
A life lived in the faith is one that is both teacher
and learner. We must work every day to be good teachers of the faith. We aim,
as St. Paul says, to be patient with one another, loving, and strong during
times of difficulty. Being good disciples of Christ is an endeavor that is
worthy of eternal life. How we conduct ourselves in this life will be the
surest way to model Christ for those who come after us.
Things to Contemplate
God has given us immeasurable gifts for our life
journey. He has given us the gift of family, faith, and a community to support
and help us. During the next week or so, take some time to stop and reflect on
the joy of the journey of life. While it certainly has its ups and downs, our
life—especially in service of others—gives us great strength and allows us to
work with God, and Him through us, to create and bless the world.
Take some time to consider all the blessings during
the past week; think about where God has been present for you. Consider those
places that God showed Himself, but we missed Him. Read up on St. Paul and his
journey of faith in the various biographies from reliable Christian scholars.
Spend some time reading St. Paul’s letters in full, and consider how his
trials, joys, and efforts worked to help build God’s Kingdom.
Most of all, spend time in prayer thanking God for the
amazing things—large and small—that make life beautiful and spiritually
fulfilling. Even in spite of trials and adversity, God is still present for us:
we just need to look!
Photo: Saint Paul (Artist: Lucas van Leyden (Netherlandish, 1494–1533), ca. 1520)
Yale University Art Gallery. https://artgallery.yale.edu/collections/objects/14863
Comments
Post a Comment