PLATFORM

On the contrary, everything happening to me in this jail only serves to make Christ more accurately known, regardless of whether I live or die.  They didn’t shut me up; they gave me a platform!  Philippians 1:19-20 (The Message)

Affliction.  Rejection.  Heartache.  Loss. 

Just reading these words gives one reason to pause because so much pain is behind them.  As a society, we have pain – whether we choose to share, hide or stuff.  But, we all have pain.  And it’s not fun, a picnic, nor something we want to brag about.

It’s hard to be around the Debbie Downer, or the Sobbing Sal, because, frankly we have enough of our own stuff, it is difficult to carry more.

What is interesting is how the Apostle Paul describes his affliction.  At the time of writing Philippians, Paul was imprisoned, chained to a guard.  Prisons in the first century were not the prisons of today.  They were rustic, filthy, and meant to be a place of suffering for misdeeds.  A prison.

Paul sees prisons as a platform.  What does he mean by that?

While he and Silas were in Philippi (Acts 16), they were thrown in prison on false charges (according to the owners of a slave girl, they were causing uproars and teaching for others to obey laws contrary to Roman law); but before they were imprisoned they were beaten and flogged.  Talk about adding insult to injury.

I complain about a long day, sore feet, bad back, upset stomach.  Paul and Silas were in Philippi to preach the gospel, to share the Good News – they had compassion for the lost and lived for Jesus.  The girl (controlled by the enemy) mocked them, so much so, that at one point, Paul had had enough.  He rebuked the spirit controlling her, and the spirit left.

This enraged her owners.  Hence, prison for Paul and Silas.  A cell with four walls, poor or no food, wounds from the beatings, cold, damp and disgusting.

What did they do in this prison?  Lick their wounds, like I would have done?  No, they sang praises to God.  I have a long way to go.

God heard those praises and caused an earthquake to rattles the cells and open the doors.  They were free.  But they did not use their freedom to leave.  They stayed to save a life, to save many lives.  With not only the Good News, but so the prison guard would not be killed for losing his prisoners (Roman law demanded this).

Paul used these times of great duress to praise, sing, share.  Not of his sufferings, but of Jesus Christ.  He saw the platform and used it.  For Christ.

How is this possible?  He is the same guy who wrote:

I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.  Philippians 4:13  (NIV)

I think it comes down to perspective.  Do I look at my circumstance and think: prison?  Or do I look and think: platform?

With my years of affliction (praise God the feet are behind me), I had a choice.  I was confined to my room, a chair, eventually just my house, then gradually I was able to go out, but not without serious limitations.  Just recalling it gives me the shivers.  Did I view the affliction as being bound, or being set free?  Did I use this time to sing or to wallow?

To be honest – I survived.

There were times it was very bad.  Very bad.  Almost to the point of giving up – but seriously, I say that but how would I give up?  Chop my feet off?  I guess, in looking back, the choice I made was to keep my eyes on the Lord.  In the pain, the suffering, the agony.  It was awful.

The choice at times was simply to hold on.  And then, I could chose to praise, thank, give, share, love.  I would love to say I was able to move past simply holding on, but many times that’s all I did.

This is real folks.  And it is hard.

How do we go from viewing our pain to a platform?

Again, it is Paul who wrote:

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.  Philippians 2:5  (NIV)

Yes, our standard, our life, should follow Christ in all areas, attitudes and afflictions.  Period.

So easy to type, say and read.  Extremely difficult to do.

But as Paul wrote, we can do all things.  All things through Christ.  How?  He gives us the strength to not only to do it, but go beyond to have hearts of praise, a platform and more importantly, we can begin to look and behave more like Jesus.

If we begin to look around at those who share their experiences, we can see how their life experiences became a platform.  Now, this can be taken wrongly (I am aware), but we can look at believers who see the bigger picture, we can see and understand a little how God uses all things to not only bring Him glory, but to grow us, encourage others and get the gospel out.

May we have a perspective that honors Christ and gives Him glory.  May we take eyes off self, and put eyes on Jesus.

Are you willing? What platform is waiting for you to jump onto?

PRAYER

Father, I find myself in circumstances that feel like a prison, but You are wanting to use them as a platform for Your glory, my good. Help we to see beyond the prison walls and out to a waiting world. I trust You to use me through all this and You will carry me safely through. I believe. In the Name of Your Son, Jesus. AMEN