Ephesians 3:1-13

"For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus..."

Earlier in chapter 1, Paul was rejoicing with those who were rejoicing, even though he was in a Roman prison. This verse can help answer why he was. Paul did not see himself bound to a physical prison, but saw himself a prisoner for Christ. Christ was his Lord even in a Roman prison. NO matter what happened he belonged to Christ! Seeing ourselves as prisoners to Christ, should cause us to rejoice and remember who we serve. If we feel "bound" or "weighed down" by our circumstances, lets remember to whom we are really with. Christ never complained when He was on the cross paying my ransom, how then can I complain when faced with something hard? He saw this as a gift to be able to serve the gentiles. The focus was never on himself, always on the cross.

13 So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory. Again even as he was suffering, he was using it to proclaim loudly the gospel. Sam Storms says it well:

"Paul's arrest and imprisonment and the hardships he suffered appeared to be a terrible setback to the gospel and the proclamation of Gentile equality with Jewish believers. It was understandable that Paul's readers might be disheartened to hear of his plight. But Paul viewed his suffering in an entirely different light. He saw it as actually contributing to their "glory (doxa)!" How so? Elsewhere Paul speaks of his suffering leading to salvation (2 Cor. 1:6) and life (2 Cor. 4:12) for others. In other words, his suffering provides a platform on which God's grace in Christ can be more loudly and visibly proclaimed; it serves notice to the world that there is something, indeed someone, who is greater and more worthy than worldly and physical comfort. As Paul said in 2 Tim. 2:10, "Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory."

I pray that I would gladly be a "suffering" servant for the furtherance of the gospel! And rejoice that I am a prisoner for Christ!