It's a Small Price to Pay
A few weeks after major surgery to remove cancerous tumors, I had a few spots on my surgical incision that were leaking some kind of fluid. The surgeon was concerned about it being infected so he took surgical scissors and inserted them into my incision. He opened it up to look for signs of infection. Ouch!!! Thankfully, he wasn’t too concerned about it and believe that with time it would heal.
Knowing how much it hurt, he looked at me and said, “I know that was painful, but it’s a small price to pay.” I responded, “Yes sir.” But in my mind I was thinking, “Next time please give me a shot or a bottle of whiskey before doing something like that.”
Those words from my surgeon, “It’s a small price to pay,” have resonated in my heart ever since. I’m glad he didn’t say to me, “I'm able to get those cancerous tumors out of your body, but that would cause you too much pain. So, because I feel for you, I’m going to spare you the pain and forego the surgery.” I’m glad he didn’t think that way. I’m glad he was willing to skillfully and surgically cause me temporary pain so that I might receive an extended blessing.
The apostle Paul’s letter to the Philippians was written while he was imprisoned in Rome. He wrote the letter to thank them for their generosity to him. In addition, he also wanted to encourage them to persevere in the faith with joy even in the face of opposition. We can advance the gospel even under adverse circumstances when we stay focused on the joy of our salvation. Although he was in prison for doing the right thing, Paul found joy in knowing he was serving with purpose. He wrote, “I want you to know, brothers that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ” (Philippians 1:12-13).
Paul loved the Philippians with a deep affection and they loved him. Because of this mutual love, he knew that some of them were deeply concerned about his imprisonment. No doubt they were concern for both his well-being and the ministry to which he was called, namely to advance the gospel. So, Paul writes to assure them that what appeared to some as detrimental to his gospel ministry, had joyfully served to advance it.
Paul didn’t enjoy being in prison. He didn’t enjoy the beatings he received in Philippi where later he would plant the church he’s writing to. He found joy in knowing that the persecution and time that he was serving in prison was serving a purpose. The gospel was being advanced through the different Roman guards that he won to Christ. You see, Paul was under house arrest. While on house arrest, he had a Roman guard chained to him around the clock (Acts 28:16; 30-31). That meant that they were going to not only hear the gospel, but see a man who lived the gospel.
Now when Paul gives exhortations to believers like, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice” (Philippians 4:4), he is not telling them to be happy and joyful that they just got diagnosed with a serious illness. He’s not saying that a believer shouldn’t experience the pain or sorrow of a great lost. What he’s teaching us is that even when there is sorrow, pain, and grief in the life of a believer, alongside of it all, there is a well of joy that we can draw from that springs from knowing Jesus as our Savior. And it’s this well spring of joy in Jesus which enables us to persevere—to keep on keeping on.
Paul didn’t write, "enjoy your cancer." Rather, he wrote, "rejoice in the Lord always." Always and in every circumstance we can rejoice when we remember that because we are saved, we are in the Lord. And in the Lord, there is always a divine purpose for why we are where we are. In the Lord, we have promises that we can cling to. In the Lord, we have power that can carry us through. Greater still, in the Lord, we have His personal presence to comfort us in all our tribulation.
Did Paul, who wrote, rejoice in the Lord always, ever experience sorrow? He experienced great sorrow and sufferings through his life. But even when he suffered, he never lost the joy of the Lord. He discovered and he wants believers to discover that sorrow and joy can co-exist.
Concerning Paul’s dear friend and co-laborer Epaphroditus, who was gravely ill, Paul wrote, “But God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow” (Philippians 2:25-27). Paul understood what it means to grieve a loss. However, he also knew a joy in the Lord that enabled him to endured the pain and work through the loss. John Piper once offered this counsel to those who mourn: “Occasionally, weep deeply over the life you hoped would be. Grieve the losses. Then wash your face. Trust God. And embrace the life you have.” In other words, no matter where you are today, in the Lord, your life has meaning and purpose. Knowing this is where true joy and happiness is found.
Paul also found joy in knowing that he was strategically in position. “And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear. Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. ” (Philippians 1:14).
Believers were becoming confident in the Lord by Paul’s imprisonment because of what God was doing through Paul’s strategic position. No doubt when he was initially thrown in prison, his friends were discouraged. But then they heard about how the gospel was spreading through Paul’s witnessed during his incarceration (Philippians 4:22). Paul could have had a pity party in prison and thought that his time could have been better served elsewhere, but he didn’t see his imprisonment as a waste of time. Instead, he understood that God had strategically positioned him to shine the light of the gospel.
Sometimes people bemoan why they are where they are. They might think that if they were somewhere else they would be happier. However, like Paul, we can find joy if we see ourselves as divinely and strategically in position to effect people for Christ in our circle of influence. You won’t find true joy focusing on your own interests. Joy is experienced as you seek to be used of God to meet the needs of those around you where you are, especially their eternal needs, When you’re focused on your own interests, the people around you become almost invisible. But when you see yourself as being strategically placed by God where you are, you become others-oriented and that’s where the joy of the Lord is found. Jesus said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35).
Lastly, Paul found joy in knowing that the Savior was proclaimed. “Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice” (Philippians 1:15-18).
When Paul was imprisoned, there were some in the church that reveled in it. Paul had great influence and spiritual authority. Many looked up to him. They preached the gospel for Christ, but also in support of Paul while he was in prison (v. 15). And sadly, others became jealous and envious. They wanted the kind of influence and following that Paul had.
So, although some were proclaiming the gospel, they began doing so with the wrong motives. They were trying to draw believers away from Paul’s influence. They were preaching the gospel, but they were also speaking against Paul. They used Paul’s imprisonment to discredit him and promote themselves. Paul, on the other hand, preached the gospel for the joy and love of Christ. He wasn’t driven by selfish ambition, he wasn’t power hungry, and he didn’t proclaim the gospel with a spirit of rivalry or competition. His motivation was found in the gospel—in the good news of great joy, which is that Jesus died to save sinners. (1 Timothy 1:15).
The grace that Paul received from God in Christ was the source of his joy and his motivation in the ministry. So, because Paul’s motivation was the joy of his salvation, he rejoiced when the gospel was proclaimed. He rejoiced even if those who opposed him proclaimed it. Why was Paul able to rejoice in prison knowing that fellow believers, who were supposed to be on his team, criticized and opposed him? Was it because he was never hurt by it? No! It was because Paul’s ultimate joy was found in the good-news of the gospel, which when it was proclaimed, made him rejoice even more.
Have you allowed what other people are saying about you or adverse circumstances to steal your joy? Go before God’s throne of grace and ask Him to restore the joy of your salvation. Seek Him to give you a fresh view of what Jesus accomplished on the cross on your behalf and to use you where you are to shine for Him. Remember that His pain was your gain and whatever we suffer for His sake is a small price to pay.
That doesn’t mean that the pain is not real, but that you know that God is at work through the pain, and that it will be worth it all when we see Jesus.
In your service,
Pastor Marco
Knowing how much it hurt, he looked at me and said, “I know that was painful, but it’s a small price to pay.” I responded, “Yes sir.” But in my mind I was thinking, “Next time please give me a shot or a bottle of whiskey before doing something like that.”
Those words from my surgeon, “It’s a small price to pay,” have resonated in my heart ever since. I’m glad he didn’t say to me, “I'm able to get those cancerous tumors out of your body, but that would cause you too much pain. So, because I feel for you, I’m going to spare you the pain and forego the surgery.” I’m glad he didn’t think that way. I’m glad he was willing to skillfully and surgically cause me temporary pain so that I might receive an extended blessing.
The apostle Paul’s letter to the Philippians was written while he was imprisoned in Rome. He wrote the letter to thank them for their generosity to him. In addition, he also wanted to encourage them to persevere in the faith with joy even in the face of opposition. We can advance the gospel even under adverse circumstances when we stay focused on the joy of our salvation. Although he was in prison for doing the right thing, Paul found joy in knowing he was serving with purpose. He wrote, “I want you to know, brothers that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ” (Philippians 1:12-13).
Paul loved the Philippians with a deep affection and they loved him. Because of this mutual love, he knew that some of them were deeply concerned about his imprisonment. No doubt they were concern for both his well-being and the ministry to which he was called, namely to advance the gospel. So, Paul writes to assure them that what appeared to some as detrimental to his gospel ministry, had joyfully served to advance it.
Paul didn’t enjoy being in prison. He didn’t enjoy the beatings he received in Philippi where later he would plant the church he’s writing to. He found joy in knowing that the persecution and time that he was serving in prison was serving a purpose. The gospel was being advanced through the different Roman guards that he won to Christ. You see, Paul was under house arrest. While on house arrest, he had a Roman guard chained to him around the clock (Acts 28:16; 30-31). That meant that they were going to not only hear the gospel, but see a man who lived the gospel.
Now when Paul gives exhortations to believers like, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice” (Philippians 4:4), he is not telling them to be happy and joyful that they just got diagnosed with a serious illness. He’s not saying that a believer shouldn’t experience the pain or sorrow of a great lost. What he’s teaching us is that even when there is sorrow, pain, and grief in the life of a believer, alongside of it all, there is a well of joy that we can draw from that springs from knowing Jesus as our Savior. And it’s this well spring of joy in Jesus which enables us to persevere—to keep on keeping on.
Paul didn’t write, "enjoy your cancer." Rather, he wrote, "rejoice in the Lord always." Always and in every circumstance we can rejoice when we remember that because we are saved, we are in the Lord. And in the Lord, there is always a divine purpose for why we are where we are. In the Lord, we have promises that we can cling to. In the Lord, we have power that can carry us through. Greater still, in the Lord, we have His personal presence to comfort us in all our tribulation.
Did Paul, who wrote, rejoice in the Lord always, ever experience sorrow? He experienced great sorrow and sufferings through his life. But even when he suffered, he never lost the joy of the Lord. He discovered and he wants believers to discover that sorrow and joy can co-exist.
Concerning Paul’s dear friend and co-laborer Epaphroditus, who was gravely ill, Paul wrote, “But God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow” (Philippians 2:25-27). Paul understood what it means to grieve a loss. However, he also knew a joy in the Lord that enabled him to endured the pain and work through the loss. John Piper once offered this counsel to those who mourn: “Occasionally, weep deeply over the life you hoped would be. Grieve the losses. Then wash your face. Trust God. And embrace the life you have.” In other words, no matter where you are today, in the Lord, your life has meaning and purpose. Knowing this is where true joy and happiness is found.
Paul also found joy in knowing that he was strategically in position. “And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear. Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. ” (Philippians 1:14).
Believers were becoming confident in the Lord by Paul’s imprisonment because of what God was doing through Paul’s strategic position. No doubt when he was initially thrown in prison, his friends were discouraged. But then they heard about how the gospel was spreading through Paul’s witnessed during his incarceration (Philippians 4:22). Paul could have had a pity party in prison and thought that his time could have been better served elsewhere, but he didn’t see his imprisonment as a waste of time. Instead, he understood that God had strategically positioned him to shine the light of the gospel.
Sometimes people bemoan why they are where they are. They might think that if they were somewhere else they would be happier. However, like Paul, we can find joy if we see ourselves as divinely and strategically in position to effect people for Christ in our circle of influence. You won’t find true joy focusing on your own interests. Joy is experienced as you seek to be used of God to meet the needs of those around you where you are, especially their eternal needs, When you’re focused on your own interests, the people around you become almost invisible. But when you see yourself as being strategically placed by God where you are, you become others-oriented and that’s where the joy of the Lord is found. Jesus said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35).
Lastly, Paul found joy in knowing that the Savior was proclaimed. “Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice” (Philippians 1:15-18).
When Paul was imprisoned, there were some in the church that reveled in it. Paul had great influence and spiritual authority. Many looked up to him. They preached the gospel for Christ, but also in support of Paul while he was in prison (v. 15). And sadly, others became jealous and envious. They wanted the kind of influence and following that Paul had.
So, although some were proclaiming the gospel, they began doing so with the wrong motives. They were trying to draw believers away from Paul’s influence. They were preaching the gospel, but they were also speaking against Paul. They used Paul’s imprisonment to discredit him and promote themselves. Paul, on the other hand, preached the gospel for the joy and love of Christ. He wasn’t driven by selfish ambition, he wasn’t power hungry, and he didn’t proclaim the gospel with a spirit of rivalry or competition. His motivation was found in the gospel—in the good news of great joy, which is that Jesus died to save sinners. (1 Timothy 1:15).
The grace that Paul received from God in Christ was the source of his joy and his motivation in the ministry. So, because Paul’s motivation was the joy of his salvation, he rejoiced when the gospel was proclaimed. He rejoiced even if those who opposed him proclaimed it. Why was Paul able to rejoice in prison knowing that fellow believers, who were supposed to be on his team, criticized and opposed him? Was it because he was never hurt by it? No! It was because Paul’s ultimate joy was found in the good-news of the gospel, which when it was proclaimed, made him rejoice even more.
Have you allowed what other people are saying about you or adverse circumstances to steal your joy? Go before God’s throne of grace and ask Him to restore the joy of your salvation. Seek Him to give you a fresh view of what Jesus accomplished on the cross on your behalf and to use you where you are to shine for Him. Remember that His pain was your gain and whatever we suffer for His sake is a small price to pay.
That doesn’t mean that the pain is not real, but that you know that God is at work through the pain, and that it will be worth it all when we see Jesus.
In your service,
Pastor Marco