What we embrace as the meaning of life shapes how we view everything in our life.  If we think that the meaning of life is personal satisfaction, we stop at nothing to surround ourselves with comfortable circumstances.  If we believe that the meaning of this life is family, we will do everything we can to surround ourselves with family.

We as a society have embraced the world's philosophy to the meaning of this life which is, "whatever makes me happy"!  However when we look at the life of Paul his perspective is radically different.

In Philippians 1:19-26 Paul shares with the church of Philippi his perspective on his physical circumstances along with spiritual perspective.  When a believer concentrates on his comfort, his status in life, his promotion, he becomes unhappily self-centered!  Self can never control circumstances or provide purpose, only God can do that.  What Paul was trying to communicate to these people was that we only experience true joy when we focus on glorifying God.

Paul said in verse 19, that he would rejoice and continue to rejoice even in the most horrible circumstances because "this shall turn into my salvation."  Salvation here means his well-being or deliverance.

The meaning of life differs for many people.  To some, to live is sports.  To others to live is money.  But to Paul, for him to live was Christ!  All of his desires and goals came together in a personal commitment to exalt Christ, in life or by death.  Paul had faced death several times before he was imprisoned in Rome.  He wanted the Philippians to understand that death for the Christian is not loss but gain.  Death is the bridge between physical life and eternal life in the presence of the Lord.

Whether Paul was able to come and be with the Philippians or if he remained in prison he wanted to hear one thing about them:  they were firmly standing in unity, confidently striving together for the sake of the gospel in verse 27.  As believers, we show our identity with the gospel when we stand fast.  The believers in Philippi were probably struggling with the pressure to give up their faith and return to a pagan lifestyle.

Human nature naturally looks for a way out when pressure begins to build.  In verse 28Paul challenged the believers not to be “terrified by your adversaries.” That word terrified describes – a startled horse, one that bolts away from conflict in battle.

Paul gave two reasons not to be terrified by adversaries.   First, the opponent’s rebellion revealed they were unsaved, and in God’s eyes, they were already defeated.   Second, the fact that a person has adversaries because of his stand for the gospel gives evidence of salvation. 

Christ warned His disciples that the world would hate them because they identified with Him.  If we suffer opposition and trouble when we live according to the gospel, we can conclude that the rebellious unsaved are seeing Christ in us.  This effective, visible witness is cause for rejoicing!

The Philippian Christians had seen how Paul handled suffering when he was among them at Philippi.  In facing persecution, they would need the kind of courage they had observed in him then and had heard about him from Rome.