This week we studied Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 Timothy, and Philemon. These books contain the letters from Paul to the people he has served during his missions. Paul wrote most of these while he was on house arrest. As I studied each of these letters I kept thinking "He wrote this while he was in jail."
We all endure times of trial in our lives. We may not be in an actual jail cell, but sometimes those trials make us feel trapped or that there is nothing we can do to change our circumstances. What can we learn from Paul that can help us to endure those trials?
Paul could have written letters about how unfair his imprisonment was or how burdened he was to be there. Instead, over and over again he basically said "Don't worry about me, let's talk about you." He used the time that he was there to write letters reminding the people of the things that he taught them. He encouraged them to continue to learn and grow in the gospel.
A few months ago I went through some particularly trying times. I found that I went from one extreme to another. On some days I wanted the whole world to know how much pain I was in. When I was in those moods it felt like my trial would never end. On other days, I did my best to completely ignore the things that were weighing on my mind.
As I have studied the scriptures more in depth during this class and as I have pondered the teachings of Paul this week, I have come to recognize that as I put my focus on living the gospel; as I read my scriptures and look for opportunities to serve, my heart is healing. I'm able to look at the things that were going on in my life and I'm able to let go of the pain that was associated with it, while at the same time I am able to learn and grow from the experience.
Perhaps Paul experienced something similar. Perhaps as he focused on all of those that he shared the gospel with, he was given the strength he needed to let go of the worry or anxiety of his own circumstances. Perhaps as he took the time to strengthen others through his writing, he also prepared himself to take on the rest of his journey.
We all endure times of trial in our lives. We may not be in an actual jail cell, but sometimes those trials make us feel trapped or that there is nothing we can do to change our circumstances. What can we learn from Paul that can help us to endure those trials?
Paul could have written letters about how unfair his imprisonment was or how burdened he was to be there. Instead, over and over again he basically said "Don't worry about me, let's talk about you." He used the time that he was there to write letters reminding the people of the things that he taught them. He encouraged them to continue to learn and grow in the gospel.
A few months ago I went through some particularly trying times. I found that I went from one extreme to another. On some days I wanted the whole world to know how much pain I was in. When I was in those moods it felt like my trial would never end. On other days, I did my best to completely ignore the things that were weighing on my mind.
As I have studied the scriptures more in depth during this class and as I have pondered the teachings of Paul this week, I have come to recognize that as I put my focus on living the gospel; as I read my scriptures and look for opportunities to serve, my heart is healing. I'm able to look at the things that were going on in my life and I'm able to let go of the pain that was associated with it, while at the same time I am able to learn and grow from the experience.
Perhaps Paul experienced something similar. Perhaps as he focused on all of those that he shared the gospel with, he was given the strength he needed to let go of the worry or anxiety of his own circumstances. Perhaps as he took the time to strengthen others through his writing, he also prepared himself to take on the rest of his journey.
