Life On Lockdown

AUGUST 20, 2020

By Pastor Tim Shaw

The Apostle Paul wrote his letter to the Philippians while he was on lockdown. He writes this letter to his friends from inside a Roman prison. He’d been thrown in jail because of what he believed about Jesus Christ. Paul was probably one of the most unlikely champions of the Christian faith and yet, in spite of extreme difficulties, he and his friends ended up planting churches all across what is now modern-day Turkey and Greece. 

When we first meet Paul, his name is Saul and he was busy persecuting the first followers of Jesus. One day on his way to the city of Damascus, where he intended to arrest any followers of Christ, Paul meets the risen Jesus. That encounter begins to change this man from a person, who was violently opposed to Christianity to a person who dedicated the rest of his life to telling others about the hope he now had. 

From a Roman prison, Paul writes, “Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel. As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. And because of my chains, most of the brothers and sisters have become confident in the Lord and dare all the more to proclaim the gospel without fear.” (Philippians 1:12-14)

Prison was not Paul’s natural habitat. This was not his Plan A for his life. Paul finds himself in lockdown.

Since March 2020, we know a little bit of what living in lockdown is like. It’s true that most of us are not living our lives chained to a guard, but because of the COVID-19 pandemic we do understand what it’s like to live with restrictions to which we’re not accustomed. As we watch the number of COVID positive cases grow here in Hawaii, we realize that we may need to further restrict what we can do in order to once again flatten the infection curve. I think Paul has some things he can teach us about living in lockdown.

What does Paul do? He writes letters to encourage others. One might expect that people should be writing encouraging letters to him while he was in prison. But Paul, being an other-centered person, is interested in building others up even during this difficult season in his life. His witness for Christ continues to take place even while being locked down. He could have focused on the opportunities that he’d lost but instead he focuses on the opportunities he now has for the spread of the gospel. 

First, he realizes that he has an opportunity to share Christ with others in the prison. As a result, many INSIDE the prison have come to put their trust in Jesus. Paul does not focus on what he’s lost. Instead he sees the lockdown as an opportunity. Second, Paul’s activity for the gospel in prison has encouraged other believers to boldly share the hope they have in Jesus. How we respond to adversity will either put backbone and courage in other believers or it will have the opposite effect.

The impact he was able to have because he focused on the opportunities and not the obstacles are far reaching. His faith gave hope and encouragement to his friends in Philippi. Members of the palace guard became curious about Jesus and some put their faith in Christ. The witness of his life on lockdown spread throughout the corridors of power in Rome. His decision to look for the opportunities has had an impact on the millions of people who have read and reflected on his letter to the Philippians, and you and I are included in that number.

None of us like COVID-19. This pandemic has had and is having a terrible impact on the lives of countless numbers of people here in Hawaii and around the world. The obstacles are great but so are the opportunities. 

What opportunities to impact your world with the hope of Jesus do you have today?

Prayer: Lord, we thank You for setting us free through the power of the good news of Jesus. We admit that we do not like the restrictions that have been placed on us. The obstacles in our lives can feel overwhelming. Would You please give us the strength and the courage to recognize and act on the opportunities that are before us? If we are discouraged, would You lift our heads? If we are immobilized by fear, would You embolden us? Come, Holy Spirit. Fill us afresh with Yourself that our lives might shine the light and hope of Jesus today. Amen.

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