Php 1:12-13, 12 I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, 13 so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ.
After thanksgiving and prayer, Paul now turns to his own imprisonment in Rome. The Philippians probably feared that his imprisonment would expose them to danger or hinder the spread of the Gospel. He removes this fear by showing them the big picture. His imprisonment he says resulted not in hindering but in the furtherance of the gospel. You don’t hear him condemn, angry, hate, bitter or frustrated with those who put him in jail, or those who discredited his ministry or those by jealousy tried to mock his ministry by replicating to hurt him more. Perfecting love opened his eyes to the big picture and prayed that the Philippians would know so that they would have joy and not sorrow.
The big picture, his imprisonment was for Christ and was even seen everywhere. Paul resolved to make much of Christ where a number of us would be bitter. He thrived in adversities. We have a choice to be BITTER or be BETTER in adversities. May the big picture refine how we see and perceive things.
2 replies on “The Big Picture Refines Our Vision”
Thank you for sharing and reminding us of the bigger perspective!
Amen Amy