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Philippians 1:12-26 We all, at one time or another in our lives, find ourselves in situations where nothing seems to be going right. Many of us are facing challenges right now. Maybe it's your financial situation or maybe it’s your health, or maybe it's both of the above. But the good news is, whatever your problems may be, it is possible to face adversity with confidence and boldness. The Bible shows us how. Let's look at Philippians 1:12-26. Paul wrote Philippians during a time when life had seemingly given him nothing but lemons. He was in jail, living under the threat of death while being separated from the people he cared about. And on top of that, he knew his enemies were celebrating his incarceration. But in spite of this, Philippians is a joyful, optimistic book. Paul has shown us, in the book of Philippians, how to make lemonade when life gives us lemons. The passage we'll be looking at today demonstrates Paul's attitude toward problem situations. There are three steps involved. The first step to developing an attitude of optimism is to: 1. CONSIDER THE BENEFITS Paul begins this passage by listing all the good things that have happened as a result of his imprisonment. In verse 12 he says this has helped to spread the gospel, in verse 13 he says the brethren have become more confident in speaking the word, and in verses 15-18 he says regardless of people's motives, Christ is being proclaimed. Now, take a look at your problems. Ask yourself, "What are the benefits of this situation?" The benefits may not always be obvious. In fact, they may be hidden, but you will find them if you look for them. While Corrie Ten Boom was living in a German concentration camp, her entire body became infested with lice, making a bad situation even worse. She was complaining about it one day, and her sister reminded her of the Bible verse that says "In everything give thanks", and she challenged Corrie to give thanks for the lice. Corrie's response was "How can I give thanks to God for lice?" But she made a choice to do it anyway. Later, she found out that the lice had actually protected her from the assaults of the German soldiers. Every problem has benefits; we just need to learn to look for them. I will admit that this isn't always easy. Our natural tendency is not the see the positive benefits.
Approximate Word count = 1627
Approximate Pages = 6.5
(250 words per page double spaced)
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