When our oldest was in grade school, we took her and my niece on a trip to Chicago.  We took Metra in, used the water taxi to get across the city, and rode a CTA bus up to lunch at Michigan Avenue. We finished the day at Lincoln Park zoo and used public transportation home. We knew it wasn’t as extravagant a trip as my niece might be used to but thought she would enjoy the dinner and zoo anyhow.

When she got on the phone that night, she said, “Mom! Uncle Bob took me on the BEST TRIP EVER!!!! I got to ride on a train, a boat, and a bus! It was SO COOL!” While commuters try not to make eye contact and survive public transportation, my daughter and niece saw it as the vacation of a lifetime: the same events, different perspectives.

Paul had the right perspective on his problems. 

Remember, Paul is writing this letter while under house arrest with no rights to come and go and a guard watching him at all times. And he is in this situation having committed no crime. 

Our prison system is filled with people who see their situation as defeating – an obstacle to true happiness.

 Paul didn’t let himself be consumed by his situation. He turns his prison into a mission field.  

This perspective didn’t come through some mind game, where he denied his reality.

 Paul’s view also wasn’t influenced by what was happening around him. I’m sure there were tough days and nights. 

•  Paul thanked the Philippians for their prayers that helped sustain him.

•  He recognized “to live is Christ, to die is gain.” 

• For Paul, the source of his strength, the thing that made him happy, was to be filled with the love and grace found only in Jesus.