So then I ask you not to be discouraged over my afflictions on your behalf, for they are your glory. - Ephesians 3:13
One characteristic of misery is that it loves company. Yet when we observe the life of Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles, there appears to be a different standard. For though Paul suffered much for the cause of Christ, he never let his sufferings define him. His "brandmarks" never became "trademarks." In addressing his beloved Ephesian church, Paul asked that they not be discouraged by his imprisonment, but rather that they see it as a tool for their growth.
How could this be?
Paul placed himself (and the church) on notice that his affliction would not become an exercise in self-pity, but instead it would be a testament to God's glory and grace! May it be the same with all who claim to follow Jesus! Nothing speaks more to the presence of Christ in the believer that their ability to endure hardship in silence.
Oh that we might all appropriate His grace to endure when it's our turn to do so!
No words can express how much the world owes to sorrow. Most of the Psalms were born in the wilderness. Most of the Epistles were written in a prison. The greatest thoughts of the greatest thinkers have all passed through the fire. - George MacDonald
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