In Philippians 1:12 I read, “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)
If I want to be a happy person, I need to look at every problem from God’s perspective. Happy people have a larger perspective. They see the big picture. When I don’t see things from God’s point of view, I’ll get discouraged, frustrated, and unhappy.
No matter what’s going on in my life—the good, the bad, and the ugly—God is working out a plan. Paul knew this. He says in Philippians 1:12, “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).
Ever since Paul became a Christian on the road to Damascus, he had one great dream: He wanted to preach in Rome, the center of the universe at the time. His dream was to preach the Gospel in the most important city in the world.
But God had another idea. Instead of sending Paul to Rome to preach crusades, God makes him a royal prisoner of Nero, who is Caesar at that time. And, Nero is a wicked and corrupt leader.
As a royal prisoner, Paul is chained to a royal guard 24 hours a day for two years, and the guard is changed every four hours. Over two years in prison, Paul has the opportunity to witness to thousands of guards. Who’s the real prisoner here? Who has the captive audience?
This isn’t Paul’s plan, but it was God’s plan all along, and it produces amazing effects. There are two results that are sure.
First, Philippians 4 says that within two years of Paul’s imprisonment, some of Nero’s own household had become believers because of Paul’s witness in the royal court in Rome.
Second, it’s kind of hard to get a guy like Paul to stop moving. In prison, he is forced to be still, and, as a result, he writes most of the New Testament. I wonder which had a bigger impact: his preaching in the Colosseum or the books he wrote, including Romans, First and Second Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians. These seven books have revealed Jesus to millions of people over the years.
Paul knows that God has a bigger plan, and he can be happy because he trusts what God is doing through his problems.
Any time 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. Ask, “What is God doing here? What’s the bigger picture? What’s the bigger perspective?” Then, I’ll be able to face the problem in faith.
In summary, to be a happy person, look at every problem from God’s perspective. Happy people have a larger perspective. See the big picture. When I don’t see things from God’s point of view, I’ll get discouraged, frustrated, and unhappy. No matter what’s going on, God is working out a plan. Paul had one great dream: To preach in Rome, the center of the universe at the time. To preach the Gospel in the most important city in the world. God had another idea. God makes him a royal prisoner of Nero. As a royal prisoner, Paul is chained to a royal guard 24 hours a day for two years, and the guard is changed every four hours. Over two years in prison, Paul has the opportunity to witness to thousands of guards. Who’s the real prisoner here? Who has the captive audience? This isn’t Paul’s plan, but it was God’s plan, and it produces amazing effects. First, within two years of Paul’s imprisonment, some of Nero’s own household had become believers because of Paul’s witness. Second, it’s kind of hard to get a guy like Paul to stop moving. In prison, he is forced to be still, and, as a result, he writes most of the New Testament. These books have revealed Jesus to millions of people over the years. Paul knows that God has a bigger plan, and he can be happy because he trusts what God is doing through his problems. Any time 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. Ask, “What is God doing here? What’s the bigger picture? What’s the bigger perspective?” Then, I’ll be able to face the problem in faith.
Air travel, e-mail, and other technologies have made worldwide separation much easier, pioneering with the Good News still requires a high sacrifice. Paul's passion was for others to discover the Good News of eternal life through Jesus Christ, no matter what the cost would be. Pressing through frontiers of spiritual darkness still requires pioneers today, people who will reach neglected people or new people groups. Pray for missionaries, support them and join them. Being imprisoned would cause many to become bitter or give up, but Paul saw it as one more opportunity to spread the Good News of Christ. Paul realized that his current circumstances weren't as important as what he did with them. Turning a bad situation into a good one, he reached out to the Roman soldiers who made up the palace guard and encouraged those Christians who were afraid of persecution. I may not be in prison, but I have plenty of opportunities to be discouraged. How I act in such situations will reflect what I believe. Like Paul, I should look for ways to demonstrate my faith even in bad situations. Whether or not the situation improves, my faith will grow stronger.
Realize that everything that happens 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. While I may not be out in the world being a missionary, I can pray and support them. 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 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.
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