6月25日
标 题：福音更兴旺
经节：弟兄们，我愿意你们知道，我所遭遇的事更是叫福音兴旺。（腓1:12）
每件事的发生都能以两个方式去看待：这件事如何影响你？如何影响神的国度？使徒保罗总是关心如何使用环境来拓展福音。当他被不公平地关入监狱时，马上观察自己的入狱，是否成为传播神救恩的机会（腓1:13；徒16:19-34）。当他被愤怒的暴徒攻击时，他利用这机会传福音（徒22:1-211）。当保罗因诉讼事件面谒亚基帕王时，他满脑子是如何向国王分享自己的信心（徒26:1-32）！即使保罗遇见船难，搁浅在一个岛上，他仍使用这个机会分享福音。不管环境如何，保罗最关心的是如何利用当前处境，告诉他人神救恩的好消息。
在面对一个新的处境时，我们最关心的通常不是神的国度。当面临危机的时候，我们可能变得愤怒或担忧个人的利益受损，而不去瞧瞧神要借此施行何事。倘若一直以自我中心，我们会失去许多机会，经历神在我们身上与周围人们身上的作为。
祈求神让你明白，祂要如何使用你的现况，成为他人的祝福。也许你身边有人必须看到基督如何改变你的生命。你是否愿意让神使用你的环境，向你身旁的人见证祂拯救的大能？
Furthering the Gospel
But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel. (Philippians 1:12)
There are two ways to look at every situation: How it will affect you, and how it will affect God’s kingdom. The apostle Paul was always concerned with how his circumstances might aid the spreading of the Gospel. When he was unjustly imprisoned, he immediately looked to see how his imprisonment might provide God’s salvation to others (Phil. 1:13; Acts 16:19–34). When he was assailed by an angry mob, he used the opportunity to preach the Gospel (Acts 22:1–21). When Paul’s criminal proceedings took him before the king, his thoughts were on sharing his faith with the king! (Acts 26:1–32). Even when Paul was shipwrecked on an island, he used that opportunity to share the gospel there. Regardless of his circumstance, Paul’s concern was how he could use his current situation to tell others of God’s good news of salvation.
Often when we encounter a new situation, our first thoughts are not about God’s kingdom. When we face a crisis, we can become angry or fearful for our own well-being, rather than looking to see what God intends to do through our circumstances. If we remain self-centered we will miss so much of what God could do through our experiences, both for us and for those around us.
Ask God to make you aware of how He could use your present circumstances to bless others. Perhaps someone around you needs to see the difference Christ’s presence makes in your life. Are you willing for God to use your circumstances to demonstrate His saving power to those around you?
