Bad situations can have good results for Christ followers!
That’s the message the Apostle Paul conveyed to his dear friends, the Christians in ancient Philippi, regarding his imprisonment in Rome! In fact, as unpleasant (and unfair) as the experience was for Paul, God actually used it to get the gospel into Caesar’s household! In fact, Paul began to view being in prison as “my imprisonment is for Christ.” He went on to say, “I am put here for the defense of the gospel” (using terminology soldiers used to describe being “stationed”, “on duty”, or “under orders”). The point? Paul realized that, as unpleasant as his imprisonment was, God was using it for His glory and the spread of the gospel! (Philippians 1:12-18)
Several years ago, a dear friend of mine made a terrible mistake and was led into an unwise (and illegal) business deal. He realized it after he had been entrapped, tried desperately to get out of the deal and attempted to make it right. However, a “pit bull prosecutor” pressed a lawsuit and my friend ended up in prison, much to his dismay and shame. He realized something however – God could use the situation for His glory! He determined to be a witness within the prison and was mightily used by God to lead many fellow prisoners to Christ and minister hope to their families. When I heard the stories of how God turned a terrible situation into good and the glory of God, my eyes flowed with tears and my heart was filled with praise!
Hey, God can use unpleasant, unpleasant, even unfair situations for His glory, the extension of the Kingdom of heaven, and the spread of the gospel! God needs people who actually believe this!
Coffee With The Lord 