The Tenacity of St. Paul

One of the traits often heard of St. Paul is his tenacity. Tenacity is to stick with something even when the going gets tough. He was tenacious, for he knew the truth and pressed on.   He even arrived at the conviction that "to live is Christ, and to die is gain (Philippians 1:21)." He also expressed, "We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair (2 Cor. 4:8)."

St. Paul was imprisoned, beaten, stoned, shipwrecked, yet he continued in his missionary journey. He knew that what He had to spread was beyond himself. He knew that the Christ is risen and he encountered Him personally.  The Christ whose followers he persecuted, he then served.

Every time I read about the missionary life of St. Paul, I am humbled by the dedication, commitment, and sacrifice that he offered for our Lord. I find myself complaining about the little things or difficulties while here is St. Paul who at his utmost inconvenience in prison, was able to write letters that have become guideposts in our Christian living.

Lord, remind me about St. Paul when I am about to give up because of discouragements and trials.  Enlighten me always about the truth of Your salvation, and that you have given me the mission to spread this good news. Amen.

A Love Triangle with God

We had our wedding vows renewed in Cana of Galilee. Together with 17 other couples in our pilgrimage group, we experienced being where Jesus  attended a wedding feast. As we all know, it is where he actualized his first miracle of turning water into wine.  This was one of our highlights in the pilgrimage.

Here are my reflections on love and our special relationships:

For a relationship to be faithful and fruitful it has to be a Love Triangle: you, your loved one, and your most Loved One.  God has to be the third person in any relationship, your most Loved One.  There will come a time when the other can be almost unbearable to be with.  One only has to look on God and how He loves us, then we are able to understand how to love the other.  Without a relationship with God, a marriage or a relationship is bound to deteriorate and be "civil" and eventually might break up. We need God's grace to truly and fully love our partner.  True love can only flow from the One who is Love.  For God is Love, and from Him we receive love of which we give to the other.  We love because He first loved us (1 John 4:19).

The bible teaches us how to love. St. Paul exhorts, "Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, [love] is not pompous, it is not inflated,it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury,it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things (1 Cor. 13: 4-7)."  This is how God loves us and more. It can be our own checklist. Just substitute the words "Love and it" to your name (e.g. Kirby is patient...etc.).  This simple guide can help us love one another.

We renew our love for another on a daily basis.  Through a couple prayer, we recommit before God each day for the strengthening of our bond and for the mission He has given us.  We need not wait to reach our Silver or Golden anniversaries for our vows to be renewed.  Special occasions can help us mark our milestones.  But our commitment to God for our relationship is a day to day renewal.  Just like Jesus turning water into wine, He makes what is plain into something sweet and special.  With Jesus, we are renewed and we are able to treat one another with sweetness and specialty. 

May God strengthen our relationships, not only to our spouse, but to our friends, family, and neighbors.  Let us seek Him who is Love, so we may truly know how to love. Beloved, let us love one another, because love is of God; everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God (1 John 4:7).

Paul's Unwavered Passion and Commitment

Paul, in Acts 14: 19-28, was stoned, dragged, and left for dead. But still, after recovering a bit, stood up and continued his mission. Paul had unwavering passion and commitment to build God's kingdom.
We too have our own persecutions. We are also stoned with hurtful words, unexpected sickness and deaths, calamities, and more. But how soon do we stand up once again and go about the Father's work?
Paul shows us the mighty strength of God's Spirit that made him one of the greatest missionaries of all time. May his unwavered passion and commitment inspire us to be strong in the Lord and His mighty power (Eph. 6:10).

No More Turning Back

To do something as if it was our last act brings out the best in us. When we no longer have our comfort zones to go back to, then we are forced to be focused and do everything to win. Hernan Cortes, a Spaniard who sailed to Mexico, had to burn his ships, so that he and his men had no other choice but to win against the Aztecs and conquer the land.

"Just as Cortes's men saw their ships as insurance, you may see this fallback as a blessing - but in fact it is a curse. It divides you. Because you think you have options, you never involve yourself deeply enough in one thing to do it thoroughly, and you never quite get what you want. Sometimes you need to run your ships aground, burn them, and leave yourself just one option: succeed or go down." Robert Greene

Sun-tzu also had this in mind:

"Without a way to retreat, Sun-tzu argued, an army fights with double or triple the spirit it would have on open terrain, because death is viscerally present."

Jesus expressed this principle, as written in Luke 9:62, "Jesus replied, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.""

What hinders us from attaining our goals in life? Do we have "safety ships" waiting in case we retreat, get tired, or disheartened? What hinders us from fully serving the Lord? Do we still have vices and other temptations that are easily accessible at anytime? What makes us mediocre in our work, service, and family? Are we forgetting the importance of our roles and the consequences of procastination?

Let us dedicate ourselves to our God, forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead (Phil 3:13). No more turning back. Burn your "ships" if you must. Our undivided attention and focus on Christ will result to great things in building God's kingdom. In our daily work and studies, we have to realize that life is short and we only get one chance to live. Let us choose the quality of our actions. Let us act as if our tasks were our last.

Honoring God through Excellence

We give honor to God by striving to be excellent through the talents, opportunities, work, and service He gives us. If we have to be God's servants, we need to desire to be God's excellent servants, giving 100% for Him. Excellence requires focus, conviction and commitment.

Focus by learning to prioritize. Even giving up other responsibilities to be able to devote more time and attention to the main goal. Without the right focus, there is a great possibility of being mediocre to all your supposed engagements. We might disappoint some people by turning down some offers of service, work, or business, but the return to your main priority will be great. By focusing, we can give full strength to the very thing we hope to achieve. When we focus, we learn to sort the clutter in our lives and realize the most important things we should do first. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead. (Philippians 3:13)

We have to be convicted in what we do. Being convicted is preceded by a journey towards clarity of purpose and arriving at the point of having inner peace. When we are convinced that what we do is part of a greater purpose that God wants for our lives, then we are able to brave all kinds of trials and challenges. When convicted, we are held "prisoners" to our beliefs. We are captured to the idea of our mission. I, then, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received (Ephisians 4:1).

Commitment will sustain us through the rough times. At the point of giving up and even losing heart, commitment will allow us to persevere and move forward. When the excitement is lost, the commitment should stay. A commitment is a bond, a promise. To be a committed person is to be a person of character and integrity. Promises made, promises kept. Excellence resides in people who can truly stick through the difficult times and stay true to their word. You will honor God through this genuine act of service because of your commitment to spread the Good News of Christ and because of your generosity in sharing with them and everyone else (2 Corinthians 9:13).

It is not easy to gain focus, conviction, and commitment. We have to come to a point of humility and surrender, so the Holy Spirit may give us the strength and guidance to achieve these three. Let us continue to honor Him by desiring to be excellent servants of God and letting His love shine in what we do.