“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.”
Philippians 1:18-20 NLT
Our temptation in life is to look about us and base our actions on the surrounding environment. This is especially true when we encounter other image bearers of God. We tend to weigh ourselves against them and their perceived prowess and power in order to judge the success of our own prowess, possible futures, and our maturity. Paul demonstrates the correct attitude to have when circumstances seem dire. From chains and under Roman imprisonment, he speaks of having every confidence that he will continue unashamed of the gospel. This phraseology calls us back to his letter to Rome wherein he notes that he is unashamed of the gospel because of its power unto salvation. Here, he doubles down on the concept, despite his obvious journey to Roman execution. This is because earthly life isn’t his goal. His metric for success is based on Christ, his goals and his eternal blessings. Christ too, would be ultimately killed by Roman hands, due to Jewish persecution. Paul put his full expectation on God’s plan and adopted his metric for success. He was able to be undeterred by his dissenters and those persecuting him because he understood what was called of him and where to look for judgment. We must do the same when we encounter trials as well. If we place our eyes in Christ, our path will also be made clear and our hearts will also grow, no matter what chains are placed upon us.
JOSH McGARY. COM 