Where do our priorities lie? And who/what gives us cause to boast? Consider today’s Holy Nougat.
I must go on boasting. Although there is nothing to be gained, I will go on to visions and revelations from the Lord. 2 Corinthians 12:1 NIV
Interestingly Paul’s boast is not so much about himself and his exploits, but about what God has done and how God has manifested in his life. This is noteworthy, as the Saul he was might have been the kind to openly brag about the influence he had and the number of people he successfully persecuted (maybe even killed). Moreover, it is obvious that what Paul places on premium is not money in the bank, grain in silos, houses, chariots or wives.
In the preceding chapter, he bragged about suffering for Christ (something many of us fear) – lashes, stoning, shipwreck, nakedness, extreme hunger, sleeplessness, death threats, anxiety among other things. Yet he counted it as an honour as it afforded him the opportunity to better serve Jesus Christ.
Does that make him specially anointed, or a fool?
And what does it imply for our lives today?
Well, there is the element of what we see as the mark of spiritual success. For, not every believer has a Pauline conversion or experience. I don’t think that means we are less holy/saved than Paul. Holiness is only judged in comparison to YHWH, not anyone else (Leviticus 11:44-45; 19:2). However, there is implied in the stories of his suffering and in his spotlighting his and God’s relationship the necessity for one to have a ‘pure’ relationship with God, where the priority for success is measured by the depth of our relationship – be it visions and dreams or engaged quiet time, Bible reading and prayer – and our willingness to offer up to God whatever God needs as we avail ourselves to live with and for Christ. It may mean forfeiting grain, houses, luxury goods, spouses. Those are important, but not priority. Which of these is a threat to our deeper relationship with Christ? If none, is there something else that needs to be sacrificed?
May God’s grace be such that we are moved to remove the impediments as we seek to consume more of the Bread of Life.
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May all we seek be found in Christ
