“For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better. But if I live, I can do more fruitful work for Christ. So I really don't know which is better. I'm torn between two desires: I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me. But for your sakes, it is better that I continue to live.”
When I first came to Christ, I underlined today’s Scripture verse in my high school Bible: “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain” (NIV). And I meant it—or at least as much as I was able to mean it. At that time, the verse translated like this: “I’ll stick up for you, Jesus, if someone sneers at my Christianity. And I’ll stick to moral standards when I’m with my boyfriend.” (Yes, and how long did that last?) But then I broke my neck, and Paul’s words meant more than I had ever imagined.
Paul ate, drank, and slept eternal life in Christ. Jesus was his very breath, the soul of his soul, and the life of his life. I couldn’t have said those things before I suffered, but my quadriplegia utterly threw me into the arms of my Savior. Suffering does that. So today, don’t despise it. It can help you to say, “For me, to live is Christ”—and you will truly mean it.
Reflect:
Read Philippians 1:21. How has suffering or heartache in your own life served to deepen your understanding of this passage?
Pray:
Spend time in worship, speaking words of praise to God and expressing how important he is to you.
While we pray for peace, we need moral clarity about this war.
We’ve got little information on Jesus’ appearance and personality. But that’s the way God designed it.españolFrançais
Christian artists work at the intersection of music and climate change.
