The apostle Paul had seen Jesus on several occasions. So, in that regard, he had a leg up on us when it comes to seeing the Lord. But that does not excuse us from the discipline of setting the Lord always before us. Today’s excerpt from The Disciplined Life is found on pages 14 and 15:
“What did Paul see of God’s glory in Jesus?
“Certainly he must have seen him seated at the right hand of God, surrounded by the adoring, cheering, worshiping hosts of heaven. Within that setting, Paul must have contemplated the perfection of Christ’s beauty and the majesty and power of His reign. He would have seen in Jesus the complete package of divine holiness, goodness, and truth—righteousness in all its perfection—which he, through obedience to God’s Law, strove to be clothed with in his own life. Paul’s vision of Christ must have dazzled with the brilliance of Revelation 1 and enthralled him with the loveliness and power of Psalm 45. And that vision of Christ strengthened Paul to agonize daily in order to know more of Christ in him, the hope of glory.
“Vision motivates and directs discipline. The clearer and more compelling our vision, the more earnest, specific, and devoted we will be in taking up the disciplines necessary to realize our vision.
“It’s safe to say, I think, that the vision of Jesus exalted was more than a mere intellectual construct for the apostle Paul. His meditations on the face of Jesus and the glory of God radiating from it fixed that image indelibly in his soul, so that becoming more like Jesus was a clear and viable goal for Paul’s work of disciplining His own body.”
For reflection or discussion
1. What do you see yourself becoming in this life? That is, what is your vision for your life?
2. What role does the vision of Christ, exalted in glory, play in your life?
In a very real sense, what you see is what you’ll get. If your vision in life goes no further than worldly things and pleasures, well you may realize them—at least in part—but they will all perish with you. This is why we as Christians must learn to set our minds on Jesus, glorious in majesty and soon to return. And it takes discipline to do this consistently and well. Share today’s podcast with some friends. Encourage your friends to listen to the podcast as well. Set up a time when you can get together to talk about the vision of Jesus, exalted in majesty and glory. You can download a free copy of The Disciplined Life by going to The Ailbe Bookstore. Get yours, then share it with all your friends.
