August 30, 2022

Philippians 1:12-18a (HCSB)
Advance of the Gospel
12 Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has actually resulted in the advance of the gospel, 13 so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard, and to everyone else, that my imprisonment is in the cause of Christ. 14 Most of the brothers in the Lord have gained confidence from my imprisonment and dare even more to speak the message fearlessly. 15 To be sure, some preach Christ out of envy and strife, but others out of good will. 16 These do so out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel; 17 the others proclaim Christ out of rivalry, not sincerely, seeking to cause me anxiety in my imprisonment. 18 What does it matter? Just that in every way, whether out of false motives or true, Christ is proclaimed., and in this I rejoice.

Mark Stephens
Somewhere along life’s journey, we have all been in a situation we don’t care for. We may be stuck on the side of the road, in a medical facility, stranded in an airport, or even in jail. You know the kind of situations that would make you bitter and ready to give up. I am not sure my first reaction would be the same as Paul’s in verse 12. Paul’s example is that current circumstances aren’t as important as what you do with them. A real, “when the world gives you lemons” kind of thing. Paul encourages fellow believers while wearing shackles. It appears to work. God uses all circumstances as He sees fit. Good or bad, Paul pushes that. His goal was for the name of Jesus to be heard. These verses kind of remind me of a hockey game. Your lead player is in the penalty box. The team picks up the slack until he gets back on the ice. While in the box, he’s still wearing the uniform and holding his stick. He’s still on the team. Given all of this, the objective for the team never changes. It’s not time to quit, it’s time to play harder.

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