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. It’s true that some are preaching out of jealousy and rivalry. But others preach about Christ with pure motives. They preach because they love me, for they know I have been appointed to defend the Good News. Those others do not have pure motives as they preach about Christ. They preach with selfish ambition, not sincerely, intending to make my chains more painful to me. But that doesn’t matter. Whether their motives are false or genuine, the message about Christ is being preached either way, so I rejoice. And I will continue to rejoice. For I know that as you pray for me and the Spirit of Jesus Christ helps me, this will lead to my deliverance. For I fully expect and hope that I will never be ashamed, but that I will continue to be bold for Christ, as I have been in the past. And I trust that my life will bring honor to Christ, whether I live or die. For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better. But if I live, I can do more fruitful work for Christ. So I really don’t know which is better. I’m torn between two desires: I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me. But for your sakes, it is better that I continue to live. Knowing this, I am convinced that I will remain alive so I can continue to help all of you grow and experience the joy of your faith. And when I come to you again, you will have even more reason to take pride in Christ Jesus because of what he is doing through me.
Philippians 1:12-26 NLT
Having our eyes on Christ will keep our heads up in the hardest times. Paul was on trial for his life, but he was not overwhelmed with discouragement. He did not even complain! Paul saw his imprisonment as an opportunity to present Christ to the emperor in Rome. He was even willing to die as a testimony to the world. Because he focused on Christ, he saw the bigger picture and did not give in to despair.
We all go through hard times. Will we allow Christ's presence to give us strength? It is good to cry out to God in our low moments, and it is fine to feel frustration (just read some of the Psalms). But don’t forget that we have the power of the Holy Spirit living inside of us. We are loved. Even if we die, death is not the end. Christ is with us in our suffering and will carry us to His side when we die. And He will put people around us to love, support, and challenge us.
What difference does it make in your life, knowing that Jesus understands and is by your side in the storms?
