Christ will be magnified in my body

according to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death. - Philippians 1v20


I am having a challenging time with this passage that I have read, preached about, and heard preached about so many times. Maybe it is the slow summer in the ministry that is giving me time for reflection and contemplation. I don’t know. But as I read through these verses and consider the words I realise that there is a great gap between Paul’s testimony and my own.

One thing mattered to Paul – that Christ be magnified. His desire was that Christ would always be magnified in his life… or even his death. Circumstance and his own standing were meaningless to him. He didn’t care if he was preaching to the believers at Ephesus or sitting in a prison in Rome. All that mattered was that Christ was magnified in his life.

Deep down inside I think we all like a bit of fame and glory. It may to be varying degrees, but we all like to be recognised and acknowledged.

At the end of the day who do we really want to magnified? Is it important that I be magnified or that Christ be magnified? I am weary of circumstances controlling my contentment. I am tired of me displacing Him. I am tired of my magnification displaces His.

Oh that Christ might be magnified in my body, whether by life, or by death, or anything else along the way.