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Phil. 1
Paul described his life as a win-win situation. That is a funny thing for a man living in prison chains to say. But the fact is that the statement is true for all of us who belong to Christ Jesus, regardless of our circumstances. At least it should be. Because of Jesus, our physical death is no longer something to fear. Rather, it is through death that we will leave all the burdens of this world behind to enjoy the fullness of God’s presence – a win for us! The more challenging perspective, though, is in how we see this life we live now.
I doubt many would define life in prison as a win. Most of us face far lesser struggles and still feel like life is a big, fat fail. I think the problem is our goals; a failure to understand our mission. What I mean is that we tend to live for ourselves and our own desires. It’s hard not to, really. Paul, however, saw his life as a win because it was a vehicle through which the gospel of Christ could benefit others. He wasn’t living his own life, but was allowing God to use him freely in any way He saw fit. So living for self is loss, while living for Christ is gain.
To be honest, though, I still struggle with that concept applied to my own life. It is easy to see how Paul gave everything to serve the gospel of Christ. But Paul himself said that not everybody in Christ’s body serves the same purpose. So how do we apply Paul’s perspective of our life being a win because Christ is exalted through it when our life feels like nothing more than a daily grind?
Again, I think the problem lies with our goals. Maybe if we focused less on what we want to achieve or accomplish in life and more on how we live, we would start to see things differently. For me, that means looking at situations, approaching problems, dealing with people…whatever it is…with the heart and mind of Christ instead of through my own human perspective. As Paul said in Ephesians, I need to live differently, whether anybody is around to see it or not. And if I constantly practice living differently, with every big or small thing I face, then maybe others will see Christ through me whether I realize it or not. “Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.” (Phil. 1:27a).
1 Kings 17-18
Speaking of living a God glorifying life regardless of what your life looks like, Obadiah gives us a fine example! The writher of 1 Kings specifically tells us, “Obadiah was a devout believer in the LORD.” (1 Kings 18:3). Yet this devout believer worked as palace administrator for the wickedest king Israel had yet seen. Talk about serving where you are planted!
It could not have been easy staying devoted to God surrounded by the evil of that palace. But because Obadiah set his sights on living differently, God was able to use him for His glory. We know God used Obadiah to save 100 prophets. He also gave him the honor of being the vehicle through which Elijah initiated his confrontation with Ahab. Who knows how many other ways God was exalted through Obadiah’s life? What could have simply been a difficult and unpleasant life was turned into a win for God because of one man’s devoted heart.