before I forget

It's late and I want to get to bed, but before I forget I need to write down my thoughts about Pastor Mark's sermon tonight!  We are currently in a series on Philippians entitled: "Prison".  Pastor Mark was speaking on the third chapter tonight and before he began he made a great point about the title of the series.  He said that to many people it might seem weird to have a sermon series entitled "Prison" to start off the new year especially when related to Philippians which is such an encouraging book, but understanding that Paul was in prison while writing this book makes it all the more powerful.  Joy is about our attitude in different circumstances, how we choose to respond.  While Paul was in prison he chose to love and encourage others, making the most out of his time there.  Do we spend more time complaining about our circumstances than we do actually trying to make the most out of them?  When it says to be joyful always it means that we are to find joy in every circumstance knowing that we are confident enough to say that we trust God no matter what state we're in.  It's difficult to do that, but it can make all the difference. In this new year you might feel trapped, you might feel imprisoned by yourself or others, or you might just feel like your circumstances aren't that great at the moment.  Whatever state you find yourself in remember that it is about our response.  Even in prison Paul praised God and reached out to others.  Maybe this year we need to realize that wherever we find ourselves God can use us if we stop complaining for a minute and allow Him to!