Practical Lessons for Understanding the Word of God

Living Through Your Circumstances

KEY PASSAGE: Philippians 1:12-26 | SUPPORTING SCRIPTURE: Psalm 103:19 | Isaiah 55:8-9 | Matthew 6:8 John 10:29 | Acts 9:4; 28:30-31 | Romans 8:28 | Ephesians 1:4 | Philippians 2:13, 18; 3:1, 7-11; 4:4, 10-12

SUMMARY:
If you could change a particular situation in your life, would you?
Maybe your financial circumstances, your relationships, or your spiritual life is difficult right now. You go to bed thinking of your problems and wake up worried about them. Instead of being able to live above your circumstances, you feel trapped under them. The apostle Paul faced a similar struggle at one point. He did not always know how to find peace and joy in every situation, but he learned how to be content in every situation (Phil. 4:11). His life is a powerful example of how to live victoriously, no matter what happens in life. He learned to focus on Christ instead of the circumstances, dwell on the sovereignty of God, and consider the positive results rather than simply the pain and loss.

is only 104 verses long. In other words, Paul chose to dwell on the power and character of our Lord despite the suffering he experienced. He could rejoice in his imprisonment because it allowed him the continued opportunity to share the gospelthis time with the Praetorian Guard, the Roman soldiers who guarded the emperor. Paul could rejoice that his circumstances had resulted in the greater progress of the gospel (Phil. 1:12), allowing him to reach those in leadership positions who otherwise would never have listened to him. He spent the two years of his imprisonment preaching the kingdom of God and teaching concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all openness, unhindered (Acts 28:30-31). Paul learned that from a heavenly perspective, he could not lose. If he was released, he could continue to preach and teach the gospel; if he was executed, he would go to be with the Lord. Philippians 1:21 says, For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. Given what the apostle was facing, he could have filled his letter with complaints and self-pity. But he chose to focus on Jesus Christ. And no matter how difficult our circumstances become, we can choose to do the same. Certainly, you and I should be concerned about the problems we experience and take appropriate steps to address them. But thoughts about our struggles should not consume us. We have trusted Jesus Christ to take care of us in eternity; we should trust Him to take care of us in this life. Dwell on the sovereignty of God, not the will of man. One of the best ways to rise above painful situations in life is to remember that the
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SCRIPTURAL PRINCIPLES:
To rise above painful situations in life ...
Focus on Christ rather than circumstances. When Paul wrote to the Philippians, he had many reasons to complain. He was unjustlyand perhaps illegallyimprisoned. As a prisoner, the apostle could not freely travel. He had little hope of gaining his freedom or even preserving his life. Yet Paul rejoiced in the Lord anyway. How? He focused on Gods goodness and the continued spread of the gospel (Phil. 1:18; 2:18; 3:1; 4:4). Throughout this short letter, the name of Jesus (or Christ) is mentioned 55 timesand this book
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Lord is in control of the universe (Ps. 103:19). That does not necessarily mean that He causes negative circumstances in your life but that He allows them. In his letter to the Romans, Paul wrote, God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose (8:28). Of course, we wont always understand why He is allowing us to suffer (Isa. 55:8-9). But we have the Lords promise that if we surrender to Him, He will use trials and pain for our ultimate good. The Father knows our needs even before we ask (Matt. 6:8), so we can trust that even in times of adversity, He is still working in our lives (Phil. 2:13). In fact, the more difficult life becomes, the more serious you and I become about listening to what the Lord is saying to us. Through hardship, He opens our spiritual eyes to see truth that we have never seen before. Instead of asking God why He allowed hardship, ask Him what you can learn from it. Surrender your life fully to the Lord, seek His face on how to respond to difficult situations, and He will work powerfully in your life. Consider the positive results rather than the pain and loss. Pauls imprisonment gave him the opportunity to share the message of salvation with the Praetorian Guard (Phil. 1:13). In other words, being in jail gave him a surprising audience for the gospelthe bodyguards of the emperor. In fact, the entire city knew that he had been unfairly jailed because of his faith. However, instead of frightening the believers, this fact gave them far more courage to speak the word of God without fear (Phil. 1:14). So when you hear about discouraging things that are happening in your neighborhood, city, and around the world, remember the Lord is still in control, continuing to work things out according to His will.
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heart of the Roman Empire, the gospel was heard loudly, clearly, and effectively. Not only that, being imprisoned gave the apostle time to write many of the books of the New Testament. If he had never been arrested, I wonder if we would have these letters that form the foundation for much of our Christian theology. Rather than dwelling on how to escape his struggles, the apostle kept his focus on his relationship with the Savior. He wrote, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ (Phil. 3:8). If we want to experience spiritual victory in the midst of suffering, we must have a similar attitude. Setting our eyes on the Lord Jesus and His matchless, incredible power lifts our spirits when nothing else can.

CONCLUSION:
What negative situation have you been focusing on lately? How has that been affecting your life? Are you ready to admit that dwelling on it has not improved the problem? The only way you and I can rise above painful circumstances is if we will raise our focus to the One who holds the universe in His hands. When life is difficult, I pray that you will choose to think about JesusHis awesome authority, power, and sovereignty. Trust that He will do something good within you and through you. Do what is necessary to resolve the situation, but refuse to let the problem become the focus of your life. Surrender to God and trust Him to work all things together for your good. Then, like the apostle Paul, you simply cannot lose.

Paul could see the hand of God at work in his imprisonment. What looked like a hindrance to his ministry was actually a help. His imprisonment led to a season of incredible fruitfulnessin the

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