As I was reflecting on my quiet times through the book of Philippians, I noticed a very clear pattern. Every day God spoke to me about suffering. It never ceases to amaze me when God repeats a theme to me, but I do not notice until I am reviewing my journal notes. How easily our minds wander and forget!
Paul wrote the letter to the church in Philippi while he was in prison. He knows the church is facing persecution for their faith and he writes a letter to encourage them during their suffering. Since he too is suffering (imprisonment), he is able to speak to their suffering on a personal level (see Paul’s list of sufferings in II Corinthians 11:23-12:10). Here are the verses that stood out to me from the book of Philippians:
“For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in Him but also suffer for His sake” (1:29).
“Have this same mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself . . . He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross . . . Even if I am poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all” (2:5;7a, 8b, 17).
“I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish in order that I may gain Christ. . . that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and may share his sufferings . . . forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on” (3:8, 10a, 13b-14a).
“Therefore . . . stand firm in the Lord, my beloved. . . I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need” (4:1, 12).
In chapter 1, Paul shares the good he is already seeing from his own suffering. Because he is imprisoned, numerous guards have a front row seat to Paul’s witness for Jesus. Paul shares how his witness has spread through the entire imperial guard (vs 13). He also has seen a rise in Christian boldness to proclaim Christ (vs 14). He is rejoicing that the gospel is being advanced! Therefore, he says the Philippians have also been GRANTED this calling: to believe AND suffer for Jesus. I don’t know about you, but as soon as suffering starts, it never enters my mind that I have been granted something; I feel like something is being stolen from me, not granted. The NLT reads that we are given the privilege to suffer for Him. Again, not my go-to sentiment.
In chapter 2, Paul exhorts the Philippians to count others more significant than themselves (vs 3-4). He points to Jesus as our example of this principle, showing humility and obedience for the sake of others (us). My Bible has a footnote saying the phrase “[He] did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,” could be translated “[He] did not count equality with God a thing to be held on to for advantage.” This hits close to home right now for anyone experiencing the ramifications of COVID-19. As Americans, we are very quick to name our “rights.” We have the right to hoard, the right to demand refunds, the right to gather in groups, etc. But what if we counted others more important than ourselves? And what if we did not count our “rights” as things to be used to gain advantage over our neighbors? What if we suffered loss for others’ sake and rejoiced?
In chapter 3, Paul pens the famous passage about counting all as loss for the sake of Christ. He knows that as he experiences suffering, he will experience the power of Christ. Therefore, he doesn’t count his losses as something stolen from him. He counts his losses as opportunities for Jesus to work in and through his life for the sake of Jesus Christ, the advancement of the gospel, and for the sake of others. He does not dwell on the past, but continues to press forward to the continuous “new” thing Jesus is doing.
(Side note: Paul lists his loss of reputation in the flesh. He lists all his credentials in verses 3-6 that now count as nothing. Something that can be helpful for people in times of suffering is to write out a list of the losses (tangible and intangible) and grieve those losses. For example, due to COVID-19, many of us are suffering the loss of income, stability, connection, freedoms, etc. Some are suffering the excruciating pain from the death of a loved one. No matter what the suffering has been in my life, the activity of listing my losses and allowing myself to grieve has been helpful for me. Even in times of hopelessness, my list helps me begin to see how God might be using the loss in my life to gain Christ.)
Lastly, in chapter 4, Paul is able to exhort the Philippians to remain firm in their faith. The suffering of Jesus, Paul’s own personal suffering, and the collective suffering in Philippi is NOT in vain, so do not given up. Paul has learned that suffering is a way of life and therefore he has learned how to live no matter the circumstance. What a perfect book to read just weeks before this pandemic and my own personal trials in addition to it. Therefore, let us look to God’s instructions (such as in Philippians) on how to live in suffering, need, and in uncertain times!
By the River Together 