Paul’s Letter to the Philippians was written while imprisoned. Rather than feeling helpless as most of us in this situation would, but Paul is empowered by his relationship with Jesus Christ. Although he mentions his longing to depart this life and be with Christ, he sees remaining on earth as not only a necessity for the benefit of the Philippians but as a means by which he may continue to serve others.

In terms of our own lives, most of us are required to cope with difficult circumstances from time to time. We may be imprisoned by depression, despair, anxiety, hate, or other problems that act as shackles in our lives. Although we may want to give up, we should, instead, emulate Paul and accept God’s love and the empowerment that accompanies it to work through hardships.

God grants us many gifts, and these include the ability to step back, tap into our faith, and confidently use prayer, problem-solving, forgiveness, and other God-given skills to free ourselves from the shackles of despair and hopelessness.

By doing this, we grow significantly through and with Jesus Christ and rejoice as Paul knowing that none of this is possible without God’s love. In recognizing this, we not only become empowered to live God’s message but to spread the word through our new-found empathy and service to those most in need.