What is your response?

I want to report to you, friends, that my imprisonment here has had the opposite of its intended effect. Instead of being squelched, the Message has actually prospered. All the soldiers here, and everyone else, too, found out that I’m in jail because of this Messiah. That piqued their curiosity, and now they’ve learned all about him. Not only that, but most of the followers of Jesus here have become far more sure of themselves in the faith than ever, speaking out fearlessly about God, about the Messiah. (Philippians 1:12-14 MSG)

Stop for a moment to consider what God can do through you when you remain faithful to him even in the face of untoward circumstances. Paul was imprisoned for preaching the gospel of Christ - yet his imprisonment didn't stop his ongoing work of spreading the gospel message. Not only did he continue his work of establishing the New Testament churches by writing and instructing via his writings, he was a positive witness of God's grace even while in a jail cell. Faith doesn't need the 'right circumstances' to develop - even the worst of circumstances can help us develop our faith!

Curiosity was piqued - the man with a mission to spread the gospel message, imprisoned by the religious zealots of the day because he preached about the Messiah, unstoppable in all ways. This is our testimony, as well. We don't have to be stopped by the negative circumstances of life - God can use our response to them to pique the curiosity of unbelievers and even to lead them to a place where they will ask us about the hope that is within us. The good news is that God often takes what our enemy prepares to be our undoing to become the very means by which God does greater things than we could have imagined!

The opposite of what is intended - isn't that what God does every day for those who believe? Satan intends one thing - God does another. Satan sets up one set of circumstances - God uses them for his glory and the furtherance of the gospel message. Satan is a lame duck - you might as well understand that he has no control over one who is fully committed to God's plans and purposes. We are not subject to his defeat - we are overcomers through and through.

When God's kids encounter one of the devil's schemes, they have one of two responses: 1) Panic because they allow their emotions to be worked upon by the devil's schemes; or 2) Trust God to take what the enemy intends for our harm and make something beautiful, fruitful, and powerful come out of it instead. The emotional upheaval and doubting response of so many to the negative circumstances of life keeps God from doing what he desires to do - bring us through stronger, with more faith, and in 'full armor' against our enemy, the devil. Just sayin!