Philippians 1:12 Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel.
13 As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ.
14 Because of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly.
15 It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill.
16 The latter do so in love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel.
17 The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains.
18 But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice. Yes, and I will continue to rejoice,
19 for I know that through your prayers and the help given by the Spirit of Jesus Christ, what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance.
Paul was in Rome in chains for preaching Christ as King in a place where Caesar was King. I'd probably be wishing it 'turned out as an opportunity' to benefit my personal comfort. He sees this as an opportunity for the gospel... obviously one of us needs to grow up. He can say what he does because there's not a person in that prison (even the guards) who doesn't know that he is there because of the gospel.
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| Yea, not like this... |
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| ...more like this |
So, the middle of the jail 'gig' on his world tour 1) the gospel gets shared before Roman guards and because of that 2) the brethren are more bold in sharing the gospel. Some of these guys have pure motives in sharing Christ (v16). And some of them are jockeying for position while Paul is in the big house (v17). What does Paul do about those haters?.....
..... he shakes it off...shakes it off... and he rejoices (v18) because Christ is preached.
Again, he doesn't focus on his jail life, his needs, the lack of cannoli (and he is in Rome) or the haters.... he focuses on Christ and the message of forgiveness and new life in Him... the one thing Paul could never shake off. Everything for him was an opportunity to show, to share and to live out the gospel.... whether making tents, in jail, on a ship, etc.
Paul didn't end up in jail by 'mistake', it was a divine appointment. From his perspective, God brought him to a new place where people needed to hear about Christ...'so what' if there were bars on the doors. He didn't get caught up in everyone else's motives or business, even when they stirred up trouble... he rejoices (v18)... twice, like it's a party. He shakes it off because that's not what matters most. Paul may have been captive in prison, but the forgiveness he received made him more free than those on the outside. His passion inspired others to live as boldly.
In a bad place? Haters hatin' on you?... Shake it off. We're not there by mistake. God never says 'oops' or "O M Me". It's a divine appointment to share and live our hope before a different audience. Let's make it count... and remember, like Paul, our team mates are watching... how we handle things will have an impact on them.
(and now Taylor's chorus will be ringing in your head all day #sorrynotsorry)
Again, he doesn't focus on his jail life, his needs, the lack of cannoli (and he is in Rome) or the haters.... he focuses on Christ and the message of forgiveness and new life in Him... the one thing Paul could never shake off. Everything for him was an opportunity to show, to share and to live out the gospel.... whether making tents, in jail, on a ship, etc.
Paul didn't end up in jail by 'mistake', it was a divine appointment. From his perspective, God brought him to a new place where people needed to hear about Christ...'so what' if there were bars on the doors. He didn't get caught up in everyone else's motives or business, even when they stirred up trouble... he rejoices (v18)... twice, like it's a party. He shakes it off because that's not what matters most. Paul may have been captive in prison, but the forgiveness he received made him more free than those on the outside. His passion inspired others to live as boldly.
In a bad place? Haters hatin' on you?... Shake it off. We're not there by mistake. God never says 'oops' or "O M Me". It's a divine appointment to share and live our hope before a different audience. Let's make it count... and remember, like Paul, our team mates are watching... how we handle things will have an impact on them.
(and now Taylor's chorus will be ringing in your head all day #sorrynotsorry)
Good stuff Reyna!
ReplyDeleteYes! Making the most of every opportunity to share rhe hope that is within us!
ReplyDeletePaul was such a leader as a prisoner. His chains served such a glorious purpose!
ReplyDeletePaul is a great example of God using us where we are planted. He can turn any bad situation into something wonderful. Paul had to sit still to write this book. He encouraged others to go out and spread the gospel because he certainly couldn’t except for in the prison he was in. Maybe one of the reasons God kept him there was so others would go out and spread the gospel. Sometimes we need that crutch taken out from under us so that we can truly see what God can do through us.
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