Philippians 1:12-14:
” I want to report to you, friends, that my imprisonment here has had the opposite of its intended effect. Instead of being squelched, the Message has actually prospered. All the soldiers here, and everyone else, too, found out that I’m in jail because of this Messiah. That piqued their curiosity, and now they’ve learned all about him.
Today, I was reading this passage and it just amazed me. How Paul passes on such a JOY and strong FAITH even in his situation. Think about It: He was not in a great situation. Still, He saw what God can do with ADVERSITIES in our lives.
I don’t known what you are going through, you probably have never been in jail,however, you may be going through a really harsh situation. Look from Paul’s perspective: He understood that God can use a bad scenario to create GREAT opportunities to share Christ. Instead of felling diacouraged, Paul rejoices in his situation because he was a instrument in Christ’s hand to bring salvation. Not only that, his FAITH during a hard time also brought courage to other Christians.
I Hope this passage brings you this encouragement. God can work wonders out of your situation. Choose to look at Him, not to your limitations. Not to your pain. One day you will look back and realize that God had everything under control and ,after all, you got out of it stronger and more initimate to Christ.
There is a GIFT hidden in the middle of our sufferings: We get to know God more deeply and we ser His character unfolding to work on our behalf.
So today, choose to be like Paul during one of His imprisonments: Rejoice and look at your situation as an opportunity to display the powerful name of Jesus and to announce His FAITHFULNESS!
Have a good day, folks!
God bless you.
“So how am I to respond? I’ve decided that I really don’t care about their motives, whether mixed, bad, or indifferent. Every time one of them opens his mouth, Christ is proclaimed, so I just cheer them on! And I’m going to keep that celebration going because I know how it’s going to turn out. Through your faithful prayers and the generous response of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, everything he wants to do in and through me will be done. I can hardly wait to continue on my course. I don’t expect to be embarrassed in the least. On the contrary, everything happening to me in this jail only serves to make Christ more accurately known, regardless of whether I live or die.
They didn’t shut me up; they gave me a platform! Alive, I’m Christ’s messenger; dead, I’m his prize. Life versus even more life! I can’t lose.
As long as I’m alive in this body, there is good work for me to do. If I had to choose right now, I hardly know which I’d choose. Hard choice! The desire to break camp here and be with Christ is powerful. Some days I can think of nothing better. But most days, because of what you are going through, I am sure that it’s better for me to stick it out here. So I plan to be around awhile, companion to you as your growth and joy in this life of trusting God continues. You can start looking forward to a great reunion when I come visit you again. We’ll be praising Christ, enjoying each other.
Meanwhile, live in such a way that you are a credit to the Message of Christ. Let nothing in your conduct hang on whether I come or not. Your conduct must be the same whether I show up to see things for myself or hear of it from a distance. Stand united, singular in vision, contending for people’s trust in the Message, the good news, not flinching or dodging in the slightest before the opposition. Your courage and unity will show them what they’re up against: defeat for them, victory for you—and both because of God. There’s far more to this life than trusting in Christ. There’s also suffering for him. And the suffering is as much a gift as the trusting...” Philipians 15-30
I was lost. His love found me! 