Presence in Pain Phil 1:27-30

Philippians 1:27-30

27Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel 28without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved—and that by God. 29For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him, 30since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have.

The context is persecution and abandonment. The Philippians are either under persecution or they are about to be, and judging by Paul's previous statements, there is a chance that they may soon be abandoned. For many of us, this may be too much. Heck, I don't get much persecution, and I have a family and church team around me, and still there are times when I struggle with living in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ...still there are moments when I am frightened by those who oppose me. Perhaps the greater fear is that there is a good chance that in time, it may get worse. As Paul says, "it has been granted (granted, like a gift?) to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him". The reality is, that part of following Christ also includes persecution of some kind. But here is the hope...it is through persecution that others may see Christ, this is the greatest good. And it is in persecution that God is present, and will do His saving work (vs.28). I have prayed at times that when persecution comes, God's grace would hold me...1 Peter 4:14 states that in the midst of suffering, God's Spirit will rest on us...this is our hope. Lord, I pray for my brothers and sisters around the world who are suffering for the sake of Your Kingdom. May they sense Your presence Lord in a real way. May they have hope...