Philippians 1:12-18

Wow, Paul’s attitude certainly convicts. Confined and bound in chains to the wrists of a Roman soldier, Paul made the most of every opportunity and continued to speak the Word of God both courageously and fearlessly. Indeed, everyone who came into contact with Paul heard about Jesus. It was well known that he was not a lawbreaker rather he was placed “in chains for Christ”. We don’t find him fretting here because he was not in front of a pulpit or going from place to place evangelizing or even being in a comfortable environment surrounded by those he loved and loved him. No, quite the opposite we find him rejoicing and furthermore continuing to rejoice. As I said, his attitude certainly convicts.

Most of us can attest to being “in prison”, “chained” to circumstances we have no power of changing. A relationship, an illness, a work situation, a death, a marriage gone south – like Job, in what seems to us as a blinking of an eye, we find ourselves in situations “far beyond our ability to endure”. So how’s our attitude and how do we remain joyful or even hopeful? Where do we keep our focus? Upon what or whom do we find ourselves depending and relying? Paul writes to the Corinthians:

8 We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. 9 Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. 10 He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us. 2 Cor 1:8-10 (NIV)

It is God’s desire for His children to be mighty warriors who do not fret, cower, fear or turn back no matter what the circumstances. Indeed, He tells us in Scripture our shrinking back does not please Him:

35 So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. 36 You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. 37 For in just a very little while, “He who is coming will come and will not delay. 38 But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him.” Heb 10:35-38 (NIV)

Paul kept a fixed focus on the Lord Jesus – His will and His ways. He was resolute in his mission – he did not turn to the right or to the left. When one remains resolute through God’s power, little can deter or fluster. Emptying ourselves of expectations on how our lives “must” play out and filling ourselves with the knowledge that God loves us, leads us and has our best interest at heart, girds us and strengthens us to persevere when circumstances are not of our choosing. It also often enables us to see more and more of what God is up to. God cares for the souls of men, His Word, the sanctification of His saints and the glorifying of His Son as well as of His Great Name. He is always about His work and amazingly, He most often chooses to do these great works through humans. He orchestrates our circumstances where they will be the most beneficial for us – both temporally and eternally – as well as bring Him the most glory – even though at first blush they may seem anything but that. Paul knew this at a gut level. Very little fretted him – indeed, he could even rejoice in circumstances not of his liking.

It is important to realize that Satan has a counter plan that is not for our good rather for our demise. While God is uses these difficult circumstance for our benefit, Satan seeks to destroy us through them. He longs for us to be “unplugged” from our power source by getting our focus off Jesus and onto ourselves. He attempts to wear us down and out through trials not of our choosing turning us more to trusting in ourselves and not in God. Big mistake!

“Satan has, in fact, a plan against the saints of the Most High, which is to wear them out. What is meant by this phrase, ‘wear out’? It has in it the idea of reducing this minute, then reducing a little further the next minute. Reduce a little today, reduce a little tomorrow. Thus, the wearing out is almost imperceptible; nevertheless, it is reducing. The wearing down is scarcely an activity of which one is conscious, yet the end result is that there is nothing left. He will take away your prayer life little by little and cause you to trust God less and less and yourself more and more, a little at a time. He will make you feel somewhat cleverer than before. Step by step, you are misled to rely more on your own gift, and step by step, your heart is enticed away from the Lord. Now, were Satan to strike the children of God with great force at one time, they would know exactly how to resist the enemy since they would immediately recognize his work. He uses the method of gradualism to wear down the people of God.” Watchman Nee

When we discover ourselves fretting and worrying, filled with fear over the future or whatever, go back to the Source of all Truth, to the One Who is Omnipotent, Omniscient and defined by love. He never leaves us nor forsakes us, He empowers us to do His perfect and pleasing will, His eye is ever on us for our good, He longs to be gracious to us, He holds us by the right hand and leads us, He protects us, encourages us and has great compassion towards us.

“Nothing can touch us apart from God’s will. We can be sure that everything that happens is for the purpose of building us up. Remember, God will never fail you or forsake you!” Billy Graham

7 For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline. 8 So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God, 9 who has saved us and called us to a holy life. 2 Tim 1:7-9 (NIV)

28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers...32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all--how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?... 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? ... 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:28-29, 32, 35, 37-39