“Whether their motives are false or genuine, the message about Christ is being preached either way, so I rejoice.” – Philippians 1:18 (NLT)
Paul shows us a rare kind of spiritual maturity: he rejoices in the proclaiming of the gospel, even if it’s done by people with questionable motives. From his prison cell, Paul had every reason to be discouraged. Some preachers were actually using his situation as an opportunity to make themselves look better. But instead of getting frustrated, Paul saw the bigger picture – Christ was being preached.
This speaks to an attitude that seems lost today in some Christian circles. Paul’s focus was on the advancement of the gospel, not his own reputation. He knew that when Christ is at the center, nothing else matters – not even people’s motives or pride. We often find ourselves in situations where people do good things for the wrong reasons, and 0ur natural reaction might be to call them out or to wish they weren’t involved at all. But Paul’s response invites us to shift our perspective.
Like when John saw someone casting out demons in Jesus’ name, he was upset because that person wasn’t part of The Group. Jesus, however, corrected him: “Do not stop him! Whoever is not against you is for you.” (Luke 9:50). Sometimes it’s not about who does the work or why, but simply that it gets done.
Paul’s example encourages us to let go of our pride and look past people’s motives, and to celebrate any and every opportunity for Christ to be known. The gospel is bigger than any one of us, and when we focus on the message over the messenger, we find joy – just like Paul did.
Former Blackout Artist 