In Philippians 1:12 it says, “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.” (NLT)
My witness to the world will come out of my weaknesses, not my strengths.
A lot of people have it backwards: They think the world is impressed by Christians’ prosperity. That doesn’t impress the world. They see that everywhere! What impresses non-believers is how believers handle adversity, not prosperity.
My suffering, not my success, gives me credibility. My faithfulness, not my fame, earns respect.
The apostle Paul was a pro at using his pain as a witness. He wrote from a prison dungeon in Rome, “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” (Philippians 1:12 NLT).
Paul used his pain to model the message God had given him. While he was chained in prison, he wrote letters to the church that became part of the New Testament.
Paul said, “In everything we do, we show that we are true ministers of God” (2 Corinthians 6:4 NLT). That includes how I handle pain, failure, defeat, problems, mistakes, sin, and all of the bad things that happen in my life.
It doesn’t take God’s power to handle good; anybody can handle good. It takes God’s power to patiently endure.
Our world doesn’t have a good answer for how to endure. But followers of Christ patiently endure suffering, hardship, and trouble of every kind as it’s a way to bear witness to the Good News of Jesus.
My deepest ministry will come out of my deepest hurt—and my deepest life message will come out of my deepest pain.
In every area of my life where I’ve had pain, I have a testimony. How will I use it to help bring others from despair to fullness of life in Christ? This is one of the reasons I have become a personal development and financial coach. Having my own money struggles in the past led to a lot of pain, anxiety and despair. It was through the examples, teaching and encouragement of others that we were able to reverse this struggle. Now I want to use this and other parts of my struggles to help lead others and show them there is a way.
In summary, I need to realize that everything that happens (and will happen) to me can help spread the Good News. Pioneering with the Good News requires a high sacrifice. Paul had a passion for others to discover the Good News of eternal life through Jesus, no matter what the cost would be. Like Paul, I need to realize that my current circumstances aren't as important as what I do with them. I can turn a bad situation into a good one. While I have plenty of opportunities to be discouraged, how I act in these situations will reflect what I believe. I should always look for ways to demonstrate my faith even in bad situations. Then whether or not my situation improves, my faith will grow stronger. No matter what's going on in my life, God is working out a plan. Anytime I have a problem that's starting to get me down, I need to do what Paul did: learn to see it from God's point of view (What is he doing here? What's the bigger picture? What's the bigger perspective?). If I do, then I'll be able to face the problem in faith.
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