How To Thrive Under Pressure
“Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel.”
What You’re Filled With
Why is it that two sets of people can go through almost identical circumstances and yet come out totally different?
I’ll never forget seeing my dad take two cokes out of the fridge. He held them up in front of me and told me, “These cokes are nearly identical, they came from the same fridge, the same box, they’re made with the same materials and they came from the same factory but watch what happens when I apply pressure to this one.” He then easily crushed one of the cans with his hand, it was empty. When he tried to apply pressure to the other can, it didn’t budge, it wasn’t crushed. Looking back at me he asked, “What’s the difference?”
One can is empty and the other is full.
Two people can go through identical circumstances and yet some are crushed while others thrive. It all depends on what you’re filled with. Are you filled with the kind of inner strength that can stand tough times?
Under Pressure
Do you know the story of how the church in Philippi began? You can read the whole account in Acts chapter 16 but Paul was traveling with some companions when through some miraculous circumstances they received the call of God to go into the region of Macedonia to preach the gospel. Upon arriving in Philippi they went and began to share the gospel with some women along a river and a purple dye trader believed and she and all of her household became believers.
It wasn’t long after this that Paul and Silas began to be harassed by a slave girl who had a spirit within her that she would use to predict the future. Her owners made a lot of money off of her imprisonment. Finally, after days of this harassment, this is what happened,
“…Finally Paul became so annoyed that he turned around and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” At that moment the spirit left her.” - Acts 16:18
When the owners realized that their way of making money was gone, they threw Paul and Silas before a magistrate and threw racist and unfounded accusations at them. They were subsequently severely flogged and thrown into prison. While in prison, Paul and Silas used this opportunity to pray and sing hymns while the other prisoners listened in. While this occurred an earthquake happened that was so violent it flung open the prison doors to all the cells and the manacles fell from them. The Jailor rushed in only to find all the doors open, thinking they had escaped he was about to commit suicide when Paul called out to stop him.
“But Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!” The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house.” - Acts 16:28-32
What an amazing start to this church! Yet it left me with a question. Why didn’t Paul leave the jail cell?
Paul’s Freedom
Clearly, this was an act of God and if I were in his shoes I would possibly have assumed that this was a sign to leave and grab my freedom. Then I was struck with this thought. This was not the last time Paul was imprisoned for the sake of the gospel. Paul was writing a letter to the Philippians from prison!
The truth is that the Apostle Paul was just as free inside prison as he was outside of prison.
Why? Because whether he was in prison or outside of prison there was one thing that mattered to Paul—the advance of the gospel. This is where his inner strength comes from! This is why Paul can write to the church in Philippi and say so confidently that his imprisonment now actually advances the gospel. He says,
“As a result it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ… brothers and sisters have become confident in the Lord and dare all the more to proclaim the gospel…”
The two pieces of evidence that Paul speaks about when it comes to advancing the gospel of Jesus are these. That nonbelievers witness our suffering for Jesus and hear the gospel and that believers grow in confidence and dare to proclaim the gospel more!
Our Inner Strength
This is my prayer for us. That we would believe in Jesus and dare to proclaim the gospel despite the suffering we experience. In fact, it is oftentimes through our suffering that the gospel shines brightest, for when we suffer we do not suffer alone but we share in the sufferings of Christ. If we suffer with Christ, we will be raised with Christ. When we share in His sufferings, we share in His glory. (Romans 8:17) When we are filled with this, the troubles and trials of this world hardly matter, instead, we can rejoice in the advance of the gospel.
