But for that
very reason I received mercy, so that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ
might display the utmost patience, making me an example to those who would come
to believe in him for eternal life. (1 Timothy 1:16)
Never underestimate God’s vision. It’s a message
that emerges from the Apostle Paul’s letter to Timothy. Paul describes some of
God’s greatest gifts. His grace. His mercy. His love. After all, Paul intends
to encourage Timothy, his spiritual son.
What does Paul have to say about God’s vision? God
has double vision. God has the unique ability to see our present and our future
at the same time with equal clarity. When God forgave Paul for being a blasphemous,
persecuting man of violence (Paul’s words, not mine), God could see that that
the “forgiven” Paul would be a great example of what a recipient of grace looks
like. God saw the depth of Paul’s need and the capacity of Paul’s testimony at
the same time.
While it is impossible for us to see ourselves as
God sees us, I believe it is possible to believe in God’s perspective. Could
we dare to trust a God who knows us better than we know ourselves? Could we
dare to believe that life that is lived by faith in God is far more secure than
a fearful dependence upon we see? Why not admit that it is difficult to see
beyond the present? A deeper, ruthless trust in God often begins with our
willingness to acknowledge our own limitations.
Such trust unlocks a powerful transformation. Our
vision clears and what seems ethereal becomes quite tangible. God leads us down
a path toward what He sees. Our destination and His vision converge.
“The way of ruthless trust is not an abstraction,
but a concrete, visible and formidable reality. It gives definition to our
lives, reveals what is life-giving within us, shapes the decisions we make and
the words we speak, prods our consciousness, nurtures our spirit, impacts our
interaction with others, sustains our will-to-meaning in life, and gives flesh
and bone to our way of being in the world.”
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