¡Que Será, Será!

“I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation." -Philippians 4:12

September 10, 2023

Paul the Pharisee, Paul the Apostle, Paul the prisoner, and child of the living God. Through each of the stages of his life, Paul experienced many setbacks and failures, which would have caused any to turn from following such an extremely challenging calling in life. However, he did discover something profound, something that can only come through difficulty and hardship, and a personal relationship with the One in control of each of the circumstances he faced periodically: contentment in Christ.

Paul remained in prison for most of his life as a believer. His zeal and zest for the Gospel had brought him into a place of shadow and obscurity; confined and sealed in a fate, which has brought about the salvation of many and knowledge of the precious truths of the Lord Jesus Christ. This man of God found himself at times utterly alone; in the darkness of a cold and damp cell, where his letters served to be the only connection with the church and the outside world. Nevertheless, Paul had justifiably come to the conclusion that wherever he found himself was where God wanted him to be. He was always in God’s place and every event he faced was totally in the hands of his Master.

The Apostle recognized that there was nothing more that could be done to better his situation, except but trust in the Person who had allowed difficulty into his life; since there was no immediate release in sight. He could try and struggle his way free, even make an attempt to escape. But that would only have made matters worse for him and perhaps the church itself, causing even greater suffering and trouble in the end. What else could he do? Would any of his objections and complaints have changed anything? In reality, there was nowhere to run; Paul was chained to his circumstances.

His only solution was to trust God and accept his situation. The Apostle Paul surmised that he must remain where he was until God provided a way out of his circumstances and for him that means of liberation had eventually concluded to be death. The Lord’s method of deliverance does not at times fall in line with what we think is always acceptable: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart; and lean not on your own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5). Sometimes God will cause us to remain in an unchangeable position where the only thing that will bring us peace is a simple childlike trust in Him.

Could God have delivered Paul? That is clearly without question. When he and Barnabas were imprisoned for preaching the Gospel, they where both taken prisoner and chained inside a cell. After praising the Lord in their dreadful circumstances, God sent an earthquake that rattled their chains free from their wrists, and allowed others to witness the power of the One who freed them and the Message in which they proclaimed. Therefore, can it not also be determined that the Lord could liberate him once again? Once more, that is clear enough. But God had a greater plan in mind.

If Paul would not have experienced imprisonment, most of the New Testament may have never been written, and the great truths of the Gospel would have remained unknown. The Apostle had come to grasp this while being detained for he stated, “Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advanced the gospel…it has become clear that I am in chains for Christ. Because of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly.” (Philippians 1:12-14). Others were immensely affected by Paul’s confinement as well. There was clearly a purpose behind all the madness he endured. It may have seemed unreasonable to them at first; they may have saw it as a lost of talent rotting and wasting away in jail, even saying, “What good could God bring of this?” It is often here that we fail to see the wisdom of God and the purposes of His designs; we must begin to see our lives from His perspective. For He has “worked wonders, plans formed long ago, with perfect faithfulness.” (Isaiah 25:1). One way or another, many in Paul’s company were motivated to put their trust in God, thereby causing their faith to grow and in effect provide them with the courage to preach the Message of Truth.

Paul had an enormous impact on many of those his life touched. Our lives may as well also, if we allow God to bring about the same effect on us. That is, if we can come to a place where we can accept entirely what God is doing and has done in our lives; being joyful and contented, trusting that he has a reason for the anguish and disappointments that we often endure. Somehow, if we can accept His work in us, it may become a little easier to go about our lives free from anxiety, tension, and strife. Let us then make every effort to find out and apply this great mystery, this so-called “secret of contentment” (Philippians 4:12). In essence, it is not truly mystifying at all, for the Spirit has made it clear in the Scriptures: “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).