Living as if God was in Control, part 2

Acts 16 shares the story of how Paul and Silas found themselves in prison for sharing the Good News in the city of Philippi. We’ll need to keep this story from Acts in mind as we look at the letter to the Philippians because it reminds us that we will go through trials.

This phrase, “We will go through trials,” is important.  Trials are made to be gone through, and the great news is that we will not remain in them. Perhaps, even now, you are facing some sort of personal trial. It could be at work or school, in a relationship, or have something to do with your finances; it could be an illness, or you may even be a person who has suffered some level of violence for the sake of the Gospel. Part of the Good News is that even as we experience trials, we can have the confidence that we will pass through the trouble. God will not abandon us and leave us stuck in our difficulties. In fact, one type of Christian maturity is our ability to rejoice, even when things are not going our way. We can rejoice simply in the fact that we are in the center of God’s will.
 

Another thing to consider: Even if the trouble is of our own making, possibly because we’ve acted foolishly, it’s still true that trials were made to go through, not to remain in! Even if a trial is the result of my own stupidity and sinfulness, you/I can rest assured that I am/you are at the center of His love. God does not ever abandon His people when they are in trouble.
 

When we get to Paul’s letter to the church in Philippi, 10 years have passed since the account in Acts 16. Some things have definitely changed. The church in Philippi is now prospering and healthy. They are not only a thriving community in their home city, they are a community that looks after the welfare of others, even people far away, who may be in some kind of need.
 

And Paul is one of those other people! Because this much has not changed: Paul finds himself imprisoned again, this time in Rome. The Philippian church has sent a gift of money and a member of their church to help him because, in their day, prisoners had to provide for their own means, even though they were in prison.
 

And there, from his prison chains, Paul writes a letter to acknowledge and thank them for their gift, to send back the brother they had sent to minister to his needs, and to teach them about the connection between Christian joy and suffering. Paul is writing this letter from inside prison. He is writing to encourage those who are not in prison!

This letter is a model for how to live during tough times. Beginning today, and over the next three weeks, we will see that:

• We can Learn How to Live as if God is in Control
• We can Learn How to Live as Servants
• We can Learn How to Live a Life of Loss
• We can Learn How to Live a Life of Generous Friendship

Continued tomorrow