Yes, and I will continue to rejoice, 19for I know that through your prayers and the help given by the Spirit of Jesus Christ, what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance.[d] 20I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. 21For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. 22If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! 23I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; 24but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. 25Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, 26so that through my being with you again your joy in Christ Jesus will overflow on account of me.
How can a person in chains speak so much about joy? I think it's because Paul has the "big-picture" and is able to "filter his circumstances through God instead of filtering God through his circumstances."
No matter where you are this day, I hope you can find your joy... which is our strength!
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3 comments:
Thanks helen for your reflection today that's really the key-isn't it-to filter our circumstances through God rather than filtering God through our circumstances? i suppose it's the secret to living the christian life well. How much better we would do it if our happiness was rooted in God and not our situation! it's amazing to think that philippians is the most joyful of paul's letters yet he was in prison when he wrote it.
Thank you, Helen!!!
Um...I am floored by Paul's perseverance and passion for Christ. He struggled so much and had the right to go home and be with Christ, which he wanted, but he also wanted to stay, continue his ministry, and do more, which entailed him to suffer more. If I were him, I would have wanted to go home to Christ. His example is a testament of what it means have the heart of one after Christ's heart. And he's happy too in his struggles. He just set the bar way too high, or maybe my bar of expectation is just really low. Paul is crazy but you know that it's definitely in a good way.
Thank you Helen for the reflection. Hope you are doing well. We miss you very much!!!
Paul was rejoicing in doing what He was called to do. The storms that came into his life didn't distract him from fixing his eyes on Jesus. Paul was able to see his role and calling in light of God’s magnitude plan for the mankind. Life or death, as long as he is obedient to God's calling and let God accomplish what has been planned through Paul, that's what Paul truly cared and put his focus on.
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