Strongman

"having become confident by my chains..."
Philippians 1:14

My Amazing Boy, on our US History vacation.
I think Paul probably had more dignity than this when he was in prison...

Now this verse, is a glorious revelation.  Want to change your whole perspective on suffering?  Then Paul's the writer to help you do that.  Now, I know, of course, that God is really the Writer behind the writer, but I am grateful for Paul's writing ability, and his obedience to sit down and do it!

In the two verses prior to this, Paul spoke of the realization that all of his trials, and all of his suffering, were for God's purposes ~ even the chains that bound him as he wrote to the Philippians from a prison in Rome.   He wrote, "the things which have happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel," and in the next verse, "my chains are in Christ."

Can we say this?  Do we know that our trials are working for the furtherance of the gospel?   Most believers marvel at Paul's strength, his focus, even in the midst of his trials.  I try to remember, when I'm feeling weak, that those are the circumstances when God is at His strongest in my life.  I want to be like Paul, and appreciate how my "chains" are working for God's purposes.  I want my trials to make me stronger.

But then I come to this next verse, which promises more than seems possible.  He says, "most of the brethren in the Lord, having become confident in my chains, are much more bold to speak the Word without fear."  Christians of the time of Paul's imprisonment were actually bolder??  They had less fear when speaking the Word?  How is this possible?  Cuz I would think, you hear of someone in prison for something, and you're going to be less inclined to do that thing!  But no; Christians of the time were becoming confident in Paul's chains.  I even think it's fair to say that Christians for hundreds of years, including today, have been made more confident by Paul's chains.

I draw a beautiful, powerful conclusion from this.  Even better than my chains making me stronger, is the knowledge that they can make others stronger.  Just as Paul's chains brought ~ and bring ~ strength, my chains can be used by God to strengthen others.   My children, my husband, and others might see joy in me despite my circumstances.  They might see God work in me through my struggle, and that might give them confidence that He will be with them in theirs.

God uses many means to teach and strengthen His children.  I am grateful to the Christians in my life, for the strength I see in them, but I am joyful that my chains might be strengthening others.

~ "Therefore encourage one another and build each other up,

just as in fact, you are doing." ~

1 Thessalonians 5:11