(Study in Philippians)-Part 3
Are they servants of Christ? I know I sound like a madman, but I have served him far more! I have worked harder, been put in prison more often, been whipped times without number, and faced death again and again. Five different times the Jewish leaders gave me thirty-nine lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. Once I spent a whole night and a day adrift at sea. I have traveled on many long journeys. I have faced danger from rivers and from robbers. I have faced danger from my own people, the Jews, as well as from the Gentiles. I have faced danger in the cities, in the deserts, and on the seas. And I have faced danger from men who claim to be believers but are not. I have worked hard and long, enduring many sleepless nights. I have been hungry and thirsty and have often gone without food. I have shivered in the cold, without enough clothing to keep me warm.-2 Corinthians 11:23-27 (NLT).
I am certain that when these things were happening that it was even more difficult for Paul to see how they were going to further anything but his pain and misery. I think that most of us are the same way. When we are going through something it is hard to see how what is happening to us is furthering the gospel. However, on the other side of it, once it has happened we can see more clearly how God can use what happened to further His work. It is hard to tell in the moment what experiences God will choose to use from our lives to further the gospel, so nothing that we experience should be discounted.
Although God doesn’t want us to live in bondage to our past, Paul, himself, noted at the close to his letter to the church in Colossians 4:18: “Remember my chains.” Remember what happened to me. Some of the most important and powerful messages Paul penned, he authored from a prison cell. His circumstances provided the occasion for the gospel to be furthered.
How many times in Scripture do we read that God did His greatest works in the midst of the most difficult circumstances people faced.God showed up in barrenness, prison cells, overwhelming odds, and certainty of death. None of those things would have jumped out at us as being an effective way to further the gospel, yet God used them to do just that:
“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” -Romans 8:28
That is a hard truth to get our head around. God causes everything to work together for the good? Even the bad stuff? The answer is yes, if we will let God use it. Instead of burying our chains, we, like Paul, would do well to remember them and allow God to use those painful moments to work for the good of others.
What you learned from losing a parent at a young age can help someone else who has recently lost a parent. Your overcoming drug addiction after losing jobs, your marriage, and family; God can use to guide others facing similar strongholds. When people see us overcoming obstacles it provokes confidence in them.
“And I want you to know, my dear brothers and sisters, that everything that has happened to me here has helped to spread the Good News. For everyone here, including the whole palace guard, knows that I am in chains because of Christ. And because of my imprisonment, most of the believers here have gained confidence and boldly speak God’s message without fear.”-Philippians 1:12-14
When we allow God to use those painful moments of our lives to bless others, it becomes evident to those around us that our chains are in Christ. People will draw strength from those moments and boldly speak the word without fear. Our experiences can embolden people’s faith.
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