“But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel” (Philippians 1:12, NJKV).
When Paul wrote this, he was an older man with years of experience. In the midst of one of the worst trials of his life, he was speaking from his heart to his friends.
Since walking with Jesus, you surely have known pain, trials, and afflictions. How have you responded to these challenges? What has been the outcome or the result of your experiences? Have your afflictions all been in vain, or have you learned of God’s love and faithfulness in the midst of them?
Let’s say you are a dedicated believer who has laid down your life for Jesus. You have a burden for a dying world. You weep for the lost and have a clear command to win souls. You tell all your friends you are going to a particular city to testify of God’s grace.
After you arrive, your friends back home receive word that you are not being used by God at all. Nothing has gone as planned; in fact, your ministry is dead. You have nothing to show for your efforts, and rather than stirring up the city for Christ, you have landed in jail.
How would you react if all you had to show for your dedication, labor and sacrifice was utter failure? Some Christians would pout. They would doubt God’s word and question the Spirit’s leading. Yet other Christians would respond as Paul did, rejoicing that they had been counted worthy to suffer for Christ’s sake.
Paul did not try to figure out his afflictions. He responded with joy, faith and hope because he knew he was in training as God’s witness. He wrote to his friends from jail that his situation was the topic of conversation in Caesar’s palace. Everyone in Rome was talking about how Paul was in jail for preaching about Jesus. He must have been quite a sight in that prison cell. A scrawny Jew encouraging everyone around him, “Rejoice in your afflictions. God is faithful!”
Paul did not waste any of his afflictions because he knew that each of them had a divine purpose. Likewise, the Lord is watching us to see how we behave during our trials.