Philippians 1
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Philippians 1:12-14, 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.
Paul's letter to the church at Philippi is a warm, informal letter, written to address specific concerns to which the church was dealing. Paul is writing the letter from a Roman or possibly Ephesian prison approximately A.D. 62. He doesn't spend a lot of time detailing his circumstances, although the Philippians probably want to know how he is fairing; they love him and are worried about him. But Paul flips the narrative.
Rather than complaining or focusing on the negatives of being imprisoned, Paul discusses how God is using this not so nice situation to advance the Gospel message. Paul uses this situation to share Jesus with those in the prison and encourage fellow believers. This is not wasted time for Paul. He is still evangelizing, ministering, and encouraging.
This reminds me of Romans 8:28 (also penned by Paul), 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. The Apostle Paul knew that God was using this experience for something greater. While God does not cause bad things to occur in our lives, God can and will use the bad to bring about His bigger purpose. God will take the mess in our lives, the prison cells, the struggles, and the tragedies and bring good from them - maybe more people will come to know Jesus, God will grow us spiritually, lives will be changed in some other way, etc. Of course, this takes perspective. In the middle of the dank prison cell, it's sometimes hard to see what good could possibly come from this. It was a gift that Paul could already see how God was using him in such dire circumstances.
Let's pray...Lord Jesus, We tend to complain about difficult circumstances and not see how you can use them to bear fruit for your Kingdom. Give us eyes to see. We trust you that you don't waste any experience. More of you, Jesus, and less of me. Amen.