Verse of the day: Philippians 1:12 But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the
furtherance of the gospel,
What
determines, for us, whether or not we are living a good life or a bad life? Is
it based on our circumstances? Is it based on whether good things or bad things
happen in our lives? Is it whether or not we are healthy or live with a
disability? What makes our life a good life or a bad life? Without Jesus, we
can certainly lean towards having a “woe is me” attitude about our lives.
Without Jesus, we can certainly lean toward depression and despair. However, as
born again believers, we can choose whether or not the life we live is a good
one or a bad one. When we know Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, we know we have
a Living Hope. There is joy and a peace that passes all understanding (Phil
4:6-7). There is something for us to look forward to; life eternal in the presence
of our God. So why is it that with all we have gained in Christ, many of us
still complain about the things that happen to us in this life? The bottom line
is that it comes down to perspective. Life, especially as a Christian, is not
so much about what happens to us, but how we respond to what God allows to
happen in our lives or even in the lives of those we know and love; the key
being that it is God who is allowing or not allowing circumstances to play out
the way they do. In this verse, and portion of Scripture, the Apostle Paul is
reassuring the Philippians that what has happened to him, although it may
appear to be a negative thing, is actually a gain for the sake of the Gospel. The
Apostle Paul, when he wrote this, finds himself a prisoner in Rome, falsely
accused, but still doing all he can to preach Christ. In verse 13 he reveals
that his imprisonment has resulted in the palace guards, and all others, being
witness to fact that his chains are in Christ; the result of preaching the
Gospel. In verse 14, we are told that fellow Christians were encouraged and
emboldened to preach the Gospel. In verses 15-18, the Apostle makes them aware
of the fact that Christ was being preached, all to God’s glory, even though
some of the motives behind it were not sincere, and done out of jealousy toward
the Apostle, to do him harm. We can all learn something about responding to
life’s events by taking to heart the Apostle’s response to this in verse 18, “What
then?” or “But so what?” or “But it does not matter”. The end result is that
people are being told about Jesus; whether for the wrong reasons or the right
ones, the Name of Jesus is being preached. Sadly, we get too hung up on the
negative, and it hinders our ability to continue moving forward. When we fail
to put life into proper perspective (from Heaven’s perspective) we end up in
despair, panicked, and becoming stagnant in our faith and service to the Lord.
Romans 8:28-29 reminds us that God does work ALL things together for good (and
ultimately His glory). All that He allows, if we approach it with the right
attitude and perspective can be used for the furtherance of the Gospel as
people around us see the peace that we have in Christ; regardless of what the
circumstances are. What hinders us from viewing tribulation as a blessing is
that we do not always see the good that comes out of it right away. We quickly
forget that God’s timing is not our timing, and that His ways are not our ways
(2 Pt 3:8; Is 55:8-9). Rather than complain and allow the devil to use our
circumstances to discourage us and discourage others, let us strive to seek the
good in our circumstances and see them as an opportunity to possibly share
Christ with others, build our faith by trusting God for the outcome, and
viewing it as an exercise in learning how to respond in a Christ-like manner to
the circumstances and challenges God allows into our lives.
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