What to Rejoice In
30 Days in Philippians - day 7
Philippians 1:15-18
Some indeed preach Christ even from envy and strife, and some also from good will: the former preach Christ, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my chains; but the latter out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is preached; and in this I rejoice, yes, and will rejoice.
It is difficult for us to imagine Christians opposing the Apostle Paul and even trying to make his difficult circumstances worse. Yet that is exactly what was happening. Some were using Paul’s imprisonment as an opportunity to elevate themselves. They saw him not as a fellow laborer, but as a rival.
Most of us would not handle that well. We would feel the sting of it. We would defend ourselves. We might even go on the attack.
But Paul does something very different.
He refuses to make it about himself.
Instead, he looks past their motives and fixes his eyes on the message. Christ is being preached. And because of that, he rejoices.
This does not mean motives do not matter. Paul clearly says some were acting out of envy and selfish ambition. In other places, like Galatians, he strongly confronts those who distort the gospel itself. But here, the message is still true, even if the motives are not. And that makes all the difference.
Paul’s joy was not tied to his reputation, his comfort, or his position. It was tied to the advancement of the gospel.
That exposes us a little.
We can be more concerned about how we are perceived than about whether Christ is being proclaimed. We can quietly compete, compare, and take offense when others succeed.
Paul shows us a better way.
He teaches us to care more about Christ being made known than about ourselves being recognized.
A major theme in Philippians is joy. And this passage reminds us that joy is not found in ease or personal vindication, but in seeing Christ honored and the gospel believed.
If your joy feels weak today, this is a good place to look. Find where Christ is being made known and rejoice in that.
Do we rejoice when Christ is preached even though we are overlooked?
