I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. Philippians 4:12
Paul was content no matter what his circumstances were. At the time Paul wrote the letter he was in Rome under house arrest, and chained to a Roman soldier for 24/7 yet he found ways to spread the gospel. Instead of complaining, Paul realized he had a captive audience to share the gospel with. While he was in prison some Christians were trying to take advantage of the situation. Yet Paul knew that adversity can promote the gospel and exalt Christ.
We can only imagine some of the gossip that filtered through the streets of Rome. A cobbler might say Paul was being punished for his past sins. A farmer might declare God had abandoned the apostle. Before they met in someone’s house to worship God, these conversations could have taken place. But that didn’t bother Paul; he knew the gospel would be preached. Paul’s mind was focused on Christ. He didn’t care about the social or political winds of the day, he lived for Christ. It is easy to read about the Apostle Paul and only wish we could be like that. We make excuses for ourselves, or want to think God has something else for us to do.
If we look around, we can find opportunities to spread the Gospel. Hurricane Ike gave Southeast Texas an opportunity to share the gospel and help those in need. With memoires of Hurricane Rita still fresh, Jefferson County in Southeast Texas experienced Hurricane Ike. This time there was a strong storm surge. Bridge City in neighboring Orange County was hit hard; almost the entire town was flooded. Only a few homes escaped the storm surge of Hurricane Ike, many had four to six feet of water inside. Instead of complaining about the situation, a group of Christians decided to get involved. This led to the idea of Mid-County Kindness. First Baptist Church led the effort. They and First Baptist Church of Port Neches offered training to volunteers willing to help clean up Bridge City.
To understand Mid-County Kindness, you have to know a little about Mid-County Madness. Mid-County consists of the cities of Port Neches, Groves, and Nederland. The three are divided into two schools, the Port Neches Groves Indians and the Nederland Bulldogs. Mid-County Madness is when the two play each other in football; almost every game involves a championship or playoff spot.
Because of Hurricane Ike, both schools had one game cancelled, and played on Tuesday night before the game. The game between Port Neches Groves and Nederland was moved from a Friday to a Saturday. The people of Mid-County seized on this weekend to promote Mid-County Kindness. The idea was to wear red for the Bridge City Cardinals to the game instead of the purple and white for Port Neches Groves and the black and gold for Nederland. Teams of volunteers would meet at Bulldog Stadium after church on Sunday to go into Bridge City to help those in need.
When Christians help each other, the church is encouraged, and others can see faith in action. It is easier for people to believe that Christ cares for them when they see Christians reaching out. God is able to send teams of angels from Heaven to clean up the mess if he wanted to, but He works through people to minister to those in need. The weekend help encourage many believers in Bridge City. It was also a powerful witness to nonbelievers as they saw Christians from all walks of life to join together. For a weekend, the light of God’s grace shone on Bridge City, Texas.
