“I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ.” Philippians 1:12-13 ESV
Reflection: why is it difficult, even painful to learn something new, to grow?
I have been taking some French lessons over the past year or so, just a few minutes every day. I had taken two years of French all the way back in High School, and somehow this language captured my imagination in a way. I thought it sounded beautiful, perhaps artistic and romantic. But, I got busy with other classes and never really learned the language. For most people, to learn a new language as an adult is quite painful, requires studying and a lot of practice to master it, especially to become fluent. You have to decide to make a lot of personal sacrifices in order to learn it. On the surface, this feels so counterintuitive, that in order to grow, such as learning a new language, involves, even requires some pain. But, when you take a step back, look at the bigger picture, seeing the progress, you can more easily endure the struggle, the pain.
And this model is generally true for so many things in life. Growth requires some amount of pain. It is even true as we physically grow from being a child to a teenager, then to an adult. Our bones even hurt. Most learn from their parents, teachers, and coaches about consequences for actions, the pain of having to take the responsibility for poor choices and behaviors. The benefit of correction and need for self-reflection and change. We also learn the joy of achieving through hard work and dedication. And all of this, putting the “pain” we feel as we are growing in proper context, helps us endure in life to achieve great things.
Paul has been imprisoned for his faith in Christ as he is writing his letter to the believers in Philippi. Now, prison back then didn’t include the comforts that many have today; it was a stone cold experience. There was no inmate or human rights, Paul might have been beaten and tortured in prison as he writes about in some of his letters. They might even have threatened Paul with an execution as we see Paul talking about later. So we can easily see how anyone would have been very discouraged, downtrodden under such circumstances. But what is his state of mind? We read in the focus verse “I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel,”
Paul sees the pain he has to go through being part of a bigger plan, to advance the gospel. Paul used the opportunity he had to make it very known, throughout “the imperial guard” what his “crime” was, that he was imprisoned for his faith in Christ. Talk about having the right perspective, looking at the bigger picture!! He was in the worst of pain, humanly speaking, yet he could see that his imprisonment was to the glory of God. That it was for the spreading of the gospel, the growth of the kingdom of Christ.
Are you going through something difficult these days? Wondering why you? Perhaps God is allowing this to take place in your life, for your own personal growth, or even for the expansion of His kingdom. Let’s surrender all to Him, our Lord.