Philippians 1:12-14






**Being imprisoned would cause many people to become bitter or to give up, but Paul saw it as one more opportunity to spread the Good News of Christ.

Paul realized that his current circumstances weren’t as important as what he did with them. Turning a bad situation into a good one, he reached out to the Roman soldiers who made up the palace guard and encouraged those Christians who were afraid of persecution.

We may not be in prison, but there are lots of situations in which we may be discouraged (times of indecision, financial burdens, family conflict, chronic illness, church conflict, or the loss of jobs). How we act in such situations will reflect what we believe. Like Paul, look for ways to demonstrate your faith even in bad situations. Whether or not the situation changes, our faith will grow stronger. **
-----------An excerpt from the New Living Translation Life Application Study Bible--------------

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