JULY 30, 2012
Bad News And Good News
Read: Philippians 1:12-22
I want you
to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually
turned
out for the furtherance of the gospel. —Philippians
1:12
Recently I had a conversation with a woman who had experienced a
very difficult situation. The stress had affected her health, so she had
to
visit the doctor frequently. But with a smile on her face, she told me
that she
has been able to use this painful circumstance as an opportunity
to share Christ
with her doctor.
In the book of Philippians, we read how the apostle Paul used
his difficult
situation—imprisonment—to preach the gospel. The Philippian
believers
were grieved because Paul had been arrested for preaching Jesus, but
he
told them that his bondage had “actually turned out for the furtherance of
the gospel” (1:12). The whole palace guard and others knew why he was in
jail—because he preached Christ. Whoever came in contact with Paul heard
about
Jesus—whether soldiers (who guarded him 24 hours a day, 7 days a
week) or
others outside. As a result of using his bad news to share the good
news, some
of the guards may have even become believers (4:22). Just
because Paul was
confined didn’t mean that the gospel was confined.
As Jesus-followers, we can allow our pain to be a platform to
share the
gospel. In our bad news, let’s find an opening to share the good
news.
We often think if life were smooth
We would a better witness be;
But God knows best—that faith midst trials
Can honor Him more powerfully. —Cetas
Pain can be a platform to share Christ.
Source: Our Daily Bread 2012
