PAUL WHO?

Devotion 1 - 9/2/08
2 Timothy 1:1

“Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, according to the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus.”

Has anyone ever left a message on your phone saying, “It’s me! Call me back!” and you wondered who “me” was? (Ok, I know. Thankfully these days Caller ID eliminates such distress, but work with me, you know the feeling!) Well, our friend Paul, who is writing this letter/book of the Bible we call 2 Timothy, left no doubt in the reader’s mind who the author was! The first word he wrote is “Paul.” It wasn’t egocentric – that was the custom of the day. (And hey, it let people know if they really wanted to keep on reading or not! You can admit it; you automatically delete e-mails from certain people without even reading them!)

But it wasn’t Paul’s name that caught my eye. It was the description he gave of himself. “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, according to the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus.” That’s like saying, “It’s me – Paul - a special messenger of the Promised One - Jesus. I didn’t just decide to be this on my own. No, this is God’s desire, His wish. And it lines up with His guarantee that Jesus is life!”

Paul’s succinct autobiography clearly shows both his priority and his purpose in life. “I’m Paul – one sent by God to share about Jesus!” How would you describe yourself in just two lines? In twenty-one words? Think about it.

Who is your priority in life? What is your purpose? Do you know? Does it show? How we live loudly answers those important questions. We might wonder a bit about what our priorities and purpose currently are, but we know what they should be. God’s desire and design for us is the same as His was for Paul. He’s chosen us as His own and commissioned us to share His life. The incredible truth is that He gives us the opportunity to live out this relationship and this responsibility daily through our families, friends, jobs, and hobbies!

So today, as you meet and greet the people God allows to come your way, don’t leave them wondering, “Now who was that?” Let your love, joy, and peace clearly display who you are and whose you are – one chosen by God to share about Jesus!

TIME FOR A LITTLE R&R

Recognize – Take a moment to ponder the truth that God desires you. You are His “by
the will of God.” God wants you! His desire for you is not based on your
performance or your perfection but simply on His plan. Wow! Hallelu Yah!
(Which is shortcut Hebrew for Praise God!)

Respond – Think about your plans for today. How will you specifically show who you are
and whose you are in those opportunities and responsibilities?