The Script
12 And I want you to know, my dear brothers and sisters, that everything that has happened to me here has helped to spread the Good News. 13 For everyone here, including the whole palace guard, knows that I am in chains because of Christ. 14 And because of my imprisonment, most of the believers here have gained confidence and boldly speak God’s message without fear. Philippians 1:12-14
The Plot
Stephen Hawking is an astrophysicist at Cambridge University and perhaps the most intelligent man on earth. He has advanced the general theory of relativity farther than any person since Albert Einstein. Unfortunately, Hawking is afflicted with ALS Syndrome (Lou Gehrig’s disease). It will eventually take his life. He has been confined to a wheelchair for years, where he can do little more than sit and think. Hawking has lost the ability even to speak, and now he communicates by means of a computer that is operated from the tiniest movement of his fingertips.
Quoting from an Omni magazine article: “He is too weak to write, feed himself, comb his hair, fix his glasses–all this must be done for him. Yet this most dependent of all men has escaped invalid status. His personality shines through the messy details of his existence.”
Hawking said that before he became ill, he had very little interest in life. He called it a “pointless existence” resulting from sheer boredom. He drank too much and did very little work. Then he learned he had ALS Syndrome and was not expected to live more than two years. The ultimate effect of that diagnosis, beyond its initial shock, was extremely positive. He claimed to have been happier after he was afflicted than before. How can that be understood? Hawking provided the answer.
“When one’s expectations are reduced to zero,” he said, “one really appreciates everything that one does have.” Stated another way: contentment in life is determined in part by what a person anticipates from it. To a man like Hawking who thought he would soon die quickly, everything takes on meaning–a sunrise or a walk in a park or the laughter of children. Suddenly, each small pleasure becomes precious. By contrast, those who believe life owes them a free ride are often discontent with its finest gifts.
Paul found himself in prison but considered his circumstances an additional opportunity to spread the message of Christ. Paul reminds us that it’s important to always remember that your current circumstances are not what is important. It’s what you do with them that matters. How you act reflects what you believe.
Walk Through
- What has helped the gospel advance?
- Why was Paul in Prison?
- If you find yourself in difficult circumstances, what can you do to see opportunities in those circumstances?
Ad Lib
Sometimes our circumstances look differently from another perspective. A fellow told the following story…
“Shortly after I moved from Alaska to California, one of my studded snow tires went flat. The service-station attendant took a long look and the said, ‘Mister, I don’t know how to tell you this, but you’ve got over a hundred nails in your tire!’”