“The crowd rose up together against them, and the chief magistrates tore their robes off them and proceeded to order them to be beaten with rods. When they had struck them with many blows, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to guard them securely; and he, having received such a command, threw them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.   But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them”

~ Acts 16:22-25

Ever heard a child exclaim, “Not Fair!” when they didn’t get exactly what they wanted or when things didn’t go quite their way.  We would all like to think that we’ve grown beyond that kind of childish mentality, right?  Still, I find myself more than a little challenged by this example set by Paul and Silas.  I mean, “who are these people who, finding themselves stripped, beaten, and thrown into prison, were still able to rejoice and give praise to the Lord?  They were certainly not ordinary people, were they? But perhaps we need reminding that the Lord hasn’t called His people to be “ordinary,” has He?  And actually,  He has given us every reason in the world to sing His praises, regardless of our circumstances.  Funny how we tend to so easily forget that and just want to focus on our torments. Maybe it’s become a bit cliché, but the truth remains, “hardships can either be obstacles or opportunities.”  I’m convinced that people living all around us are far less interested in our beautiful expressions of piety when all is going well; and far more interested in how we handle the dark, dangerous, hardships of life.

~ Phil