Everything Works For Good!
The power of a Christ-formed life lies in the reality that no matter what happens in life, there is always spiritual gold to be found and an eternal perspective to be embraced.
What if every time you turn around, no matter what happens, it ends up helping you?
It seemed like it was one of those days. All the traffic lights were green. Even the cars in front of me were moving along at a reasonable speed. My favorite song came on the radio in just enough time for me to hear the whole song before I arrived at my appointment. And then, when I did arrive, there was a parking spot right in front! It was one of the few times I actually considered buying a lottery ticket since things were going my way that day!
But I’ve had other days when the exact opposite was happening. Nothing was going right! Yeah, I bet you’ve had days like that, too!
But what if I told you both days serve the same purpose if only you could see it?
See, this is the power of the Orthodox Faith. This wisdom invites me to change my perspective on every event in my life, whether I classify them as “good” or “bad.”
Look at our Lesson today in Philippians 1:12-20:
Brethren, I want you to know that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the praetorian guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ; and most of the brethren have been made confident in the Lord because of my imprisonment, and are much more bold to speak the word of God without fear. Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel; the former proclaim Christ out of partisanship, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed; and in that I rejoice. Yes, and I shall rejoice. For I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, as it is my eager expectation and hope.
When St. Paul writes the Epistle of Philippians, he’s writing from a jail cell!
So, when he writes, “What has happened to me has served to advance the gospel,” we begin to see what St. Paul means by this. He declares that his current “situation” actually helped his mission of spreading the Gospel of Jesus in Rome! He even insists that his prison situation had emboldened others to preach more fervently in the area.
He says that some were preaching the Gospel to support St. Paul and encourage him in his struggles in prison. But others were preaching the Gospel to take advantage of Paul’s imprisonment! Paul goes on to say that he rejoices over both of these situations BECAUSE Paul’s deepest desire was that the Gospel be proclaimed, and that was happening!
Are you tired of all this winning yet? :-)
So, what can we take from this fantastic courage and faithful attitude of St. Paul?
First, our circumstances always invite us to discover our perspective and attitude. If we have the eternal perspective of our foundational purpose, calling, and most profound devotion focused on Christ, no matter what happens, we can see God’s purpose in the good times, the bad times, and all the in-between times.
Next, according to our circumstances, we are invited to test our ability to be confident in our faith. St. Paul realized his purpose was to defend the Gospel, and his confidence was complete. He was sure that the circumstances didn’t matter. He knew everything was going to be fine!
Finally, even with all the challenges in Paul’s life, he assumed that the troubles would also give all his brothers and sisters around him an opportunity to exercise their faith in supporting Paul and praying for his release! Paul saw his troubles as a blessing because they invited all the believers to grow in their faith and become more confident in their commitment to Christ!
There is a powerful transformation available to you and me in this wisdom. But this isn’t some shallow “positive thinking” mind trick or a “positive confession” word game. This is an actual transformation that means we don’t hide the negative, but we also don’t miss the positive that is ALWAYS present! It makes the Prophet Isaiah’s words ring with new and deeper meaning when he declared, “No weapon formed against you shall prosper.” (Isaiah 54:17) And St. Paul’s promise that “all things work together for good to those who love God” (Romans 8:28)
Sts. Zenobios and Zenobia were brother and sister. At the close of the 3rd century, their pious and humble love for God and those around them set this team apart. St. Zenobios was made bishop of Aegea because of his fearless devotion to Christ in serving the people of the Church in the area. His sister was known for her care of the sick and needy. When Emperor Diocletian began his persecution of the Christians, St. Zenobios was the first arrested. He was such an effective witness to the Faith that many pagans converted to Christ. As the local Roman governor, Licius, had St. Zenobios tortured for his faith, his sister, watching her brother suffer, immediately cried out that she, too, was a Christian. So, Licius had both of them tortured and beheaded in 285 AD. These heroes had their perspective so set on eternal reality that temporary suffering could not overcome their faith!
Today, no circumstances happening in your life right now, no matter what those circumstances are, both positive and negative, cannot reveal God’s plan, God’s purpose, and God’s Hand in your life right now! Every event invites you and me to look beyond our fears, our temporary worries and concerns, and see God’s wonderful purpose in your life to shape and prepare you for your future and eternity. This is the powerful joy of living a Normal Orthodox Life!
P.S. O glorious Zenobios and pure Zenobia, as siblings united in godliness, you contested together and obtained incorruptible crowns; you are also worthy of everlasting glory, for together you shine forth upon those in the world with the grace of healing.
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Fr. Barnabas Powell is the parish priest at Sts. Raphael, Nicholas, and Irene Greek Orthodox Church in Cumming, GA. He is also the founder of Faith Encouraged Ministries and produces the Faith Encouraged Daily Devotional on Substack. Watch the Faith Encouraged YouTube Channel here - https://www.youtube.com/@FaithEncouragedTV
“A striking example of a living commentary on Romans 12: 15—“Rejoice with those who rejoice”—comes from the life of a 70-year-old Romanian priest named Surioanu while he was held captive in a subterranean Communist prison camp:
This priest had a son who had died in a Soviet jail. His daughter was sentenced to twenty years. Two of his sons-in-law were with him in jail—one with him in the same cell. His grandchildren had no food, they were forced to eat from the garbage. His whole family was destroyed. He had lost his church. But this man had such a shining face—there was always a beautiful smile on his lips. He never greeted anyone with “Good morning” or “Good evening,” but instead with the words, “Always rejoice.”
One day we asked him, “Father, how can you say ‘Always rejoice’—you who have passed through such terrible tragedy?”
He said, “Rejoicing is very easy. If we fulfill at least one word from the Bible, it is written, ‘Rejoice with all those who rejoice.’ Now if one rejoices with all those who rejoice, he always has plenty of motivation for rejoicing. I sit in jail, and I rejoice that so many are free. I don’t go to church, but I rejoice with all those who are in church. I can’t take Holy Communion, but I rejoice about all those who take. I can’t read the Bible or any other holy book, but I rejoice with those who do. I can’t see flowers [we never saw a tree or a flower during those years. We were under the earth in a subterranean prison], but I can rejoice with those who see the rainbows and who see the multi-colored butterflies.” In prison, the smell was not very good. But the priest said, “Others have the perfume of flowers around them. And others have picnics and others have their families of children around them.… And he who can rejoice with all those who rejoice can always rejoice. I can always be glad.” That is why he had such a beautiful expression on his face.”
— The Soul's Longing: An Orthodox Christian Perspective on Biblical Interpretation by Mary S. Ford