Read Philippians 1:15-18 in your personal Bible or at the link provided.
Discover
While Paul was in prison, preachers with ulterior motives came out of the woodwork and started smearing him, targeting his church plants to discredit his ministry. Their goal was to take some of his influence for themselves, and their motive was to make themselves look better by making Paul look worse. Instead of being bitter, Paul fixed his focus on something else – the advancement of the gospel, which always brought him joy.
Paul’s response is a helpful model for us today. When someone speaks badly about us or hurts us, we have to make a conscious decision: Will we become fixated on the other person’s motives, or will we focus on God’s outcomes? Will we become guarded and bitter, or will we become joyful? We can’t choose what we go through, but we can choose what we focus on. Cultivating joy requires looking for things to be joyful about.
• Refocus your focus. Take a moment right now to make a list of things you can be joyful about, including things that can bring you joy even in a less-than-ideal situation. Where do you see God in them?
Respond
Use your Philippians Guidebook to reflect and respond. For a digital copy of the guidebook, visit tpcc.org/rebels-guide.
Want to go deeper? Look up the following verses to see what the Bible says about refocusing your focus. Note what you observe and then continue with your time of response.
• Isaiah 26:3-4
• 1 Thessalonians 5:18