No matter what comes my (our) way. Wow. The Apostle Paul and his co-laborers stood "firm in the Lord and in the strength of His might" (Ephesians 6:10)! No matter what. This list of some of the life circumstances and his approach and response, bears repeating:
"In great endurance;
In troubles, hardships and distresses;
In beatings, imprisonments and riots;
In hard work, sleepless nights and hunger;
In purity, understanding, patience and kindness;
In the Holy Spirit and in sincere love;
In truthful speech and in the power of God;
With weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left;
Through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report;
Genuine, yet regarded as imposters;
Known, yet regarded as unknown;
dying, and yet we live on;
Beaten, and yet not killed;
Sorrowful, yet always rejoicing;
Poor, yet making many rich;
Having nothing, and yet possessing everything" (vs 4a-10).
These are the types of environments he and his co-laborers found themselves in as a result of preaching and teaching the Gospel to those to whom God had called them! It is clear that Paul didn't look solely at his circumstances as an indication of God's will for him! When Paul said that he "learned to be content in whatever circumstances" (Philippians 4:11), we can see by the above recording, that indeed, Paul learned through his experiences!
He later in this same chapter, states that his heart was opened wide to the Corinthians - to those to whom he was ministering and doubtless, found himself in some of these circumstances as he was ministering to them. If his heart was not opened wide to them, and in the Living Christ - the power of the Holy Spirit - he would not have (been able to) endured these circumstances. In an earlier reading we see that Paul was "compelled by the love of Christ." It had to be so. He has the "right" to ask the Corinthians, "open wide your hearts also." We trust that some did, and some did not, even as we read later on in 2 Corinthians.
So what about you and me? Are we learning to be content in whatever circumstance we are in, as we commend ourselves as ministers of the Gospel? You might be thinking, "I'm not a minister of the Gospel." Actually, you are...perhaps not in the same way as Paul - his life work and breath - but we read earlier in 2 Corinthians 5 that all of us who are saved, are "ministers of reconciliation, ambassadors of Christ, having God make His appeal through us, to others, to be reconciled (saved, receiving forgiveness through Christ, becoming new creations in Christ) to God through Christ.
"Lord, thank You for calling us to Yourself and for making us Your ambassadors. I pray that I, and we, would so find ourselves hidden in You, that we step out, regardless of circumstance, and appeal to others to be reconciled to You through Christ, in the power of Your Holy Spirit. Help us Lord to get to the point of learning to be content in whatever circumstance, as we walk in You. Thank You Lord for the High Calling with which You have called us."
He later in this same chapter, states that his heart was opened wide to the Corinthians - to those to whom he was ministering and doubtless, found himself in some of these circumstances as he was ministering to them. If his heart was not opened wide to them, and in the Living Christ - the power of the Holy Spirit - he would not have (been able to) endured these circumstances. In an earlier reading we see that Paul was "compelled by the love of Christ." It had to be so. He has the "right" to ask the Corinthians, "open wide your hearts also." We trust that some did, and some did not, even as we read later on in 2 Corinthians.
So what about you and me? Are we learning to be content in whatever circumstance we are in, as we commend ourselves as ministers of the Gospel? You might be thinking, "I'm not a minister of the Gospel." Actually, you are...perhaps not in the same way as Paul - his life work and breath - but we read earlier in 2 Corinthians 5 that all of us who are saved, are "ministers of reconciliation, ambassadors of Christ, having God make His appeal through us, to others, to be reconciled (saved, receiving forgiveness through Christ, becoming new creations in Christ) to God through Christ.
"Lord, thank You for calling us to Yourself and for making us Your ambassadors. I pray that I, and we, would so find ourselves hidden in You, that we step out, regardless of circumstance, and appeal to others to be reconciled to You through Christ, in the power of Your Holy Spirit. Help us Lord to get to the point of learning to be content in whatever circumstance, as we walk in You. Thank You Lord for the High Calling with which You have called us."
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