Handling Difficulty

Hello and welcome to the “Clinic on Handling Difficulty”. I'm the Apostle Paul and this is a brief introduction to what you’ll need as you walk through this life as a follower of Jesus. While these may seem as to be simple concepts, they are born from the many trials I have walked through with Jesus, His Presence ever being with me.

I want you to know that Jesus is already preparing you for the things that you are going to encounter in your life as a disciple of His. When I first met Him, He told me the things that I would suffer for His sake (Acts 9:16). However, I have found that He doesn’t always share that with everyone. But what He does share is that He’s working in our lives already and won’t stop making us ready in Christ (Phil. 1:6).

You see, I know Him and because of this, I am confident! I know He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him for His return (2 Tim. 1:12). This is the basis of walking forward with Him. My encouragement to you is to get to know Him better and better and you will see for yourself that the theology books are correct: He is loving, faithful, holy and true. As this profound knowledge becomes more deeply engrained by your experiences, you'll gradually shift to His kingdom's perspective- that it’s about His gospel going forth and not necessarily about what happens to each of us individually. (Phil. 1:12).

That’s my goal and my calling! Though sometimes I struggle, He remains the main thing in my life. And because of this, I view my imprisonment as for Him (Phil. 1:13). So when I heard the Good News is spreading because of brothers and sisters preaching the gospel (some out of love and some out malintent, Phil. 1:14-17), I rejoiced. Though I am set aside in this season of my life, the Gospel of Jesus is not set aside. It must keep going forward because the Gospel is far too wondrous for any one person to be the only proclaimer. So, you must learn to rejoice with me in Him (Phil. 1:18) and His victory. 

Please read Philippians 1:18-26 for Sunday. 

Questions for reflection and discussion:

• Share a time you learned to rejoice in Jesus, even though your circumstances were less than ideal.
• Paul said it was his imprisonment was for Jesus. Fill in the blank: My ______________ is for Jesus.

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