Paul's remarkable missionary experiences won many people to Christ and planted many churches. His frequent encounters with persecution provided practical training so that he could look forward to the last phase of his ministry. As a Jesus-hating, church-persecuting Pharisee, it was certainly not his idea to become a Christian, or to be a missionary, or to suffer for the sake of Jesus. It was God's idea; the Lord Jesus personally commissioned him (Titus 1:1-3) and the Holy Spirit impelled and guided him. The apostle knew that he must finish the race well for the sake of His Lord (Philippians 3:12-14).

'Suffering with joy' became one of Paul's themes from the time he was converted (Acts 9:15-16) and all through his ministry (Philippians 1:29). The Holy Spirit's inner voice about imprisonment after going to Jerusalem would later be confirmed by a prophetic message through Agabus. Although Paul’s friends urged him not to go there, he knew it was the Lord's will (Acts 21:10-14).

Paul always felt that he was the 'least of the apostles' because he had encouraged violent persecution of the church (1 Corinthians 15:9), but his submission to suffering was by no means a penance. He knew that his salvation was by grace alone and he could contribute nothing except thanks (Ephesians 2:8-9). No: like Peter (1 Peter 4:16), Paul accepted suffering for Jesus as a privilege (2 Thessalonians 1:5). His goal was not to get what he could for himself, but to give whatever was needed to ensure that as many people as possible could hear the gospel of God's grace.

Paul's ambitions are rather sobering for most of us. Human nature wants to live well and die easily: that was not Jesus' experience, nor the apostles'. We like to define our lives by how much we have got and how happy we are. Paul defined his life by choosing to be identified with Jesus Christ. We want to achieve our goals; Paul wanted to complete what Jesus had given him to do. We like the world testifying to our excellence; Paul wanted to testify to Christ's excellence, in front of a world which naturally wanted to kill Him. We tend to concentrate on the pleasures or woes of the daily path; Paul focussed on meeting Jesus after the end of his life (2 Timothy 4:7-8). So, let the Holy Spirit use these verses to reset your horizon, revise your ambitions and reshape your heart so that the Lord can use you to His glory.