For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. (Philippians 1:21, NIV)
In Acts 20, Paul said his goodbyes to the elders in Ephesus with a prophetic finality. He would be heading to Jerusalem, knowing that “the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me.” The hour was an emotional one, with embracing and tears, kneeling and prayer.
For all the feeling that was going on, Paul also demonstrated some amazing thinking. With strength and conviction, he told the elders, “I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace.” This was a man who understood the full measure of his calling and the full requirement of the discipline needed to pursue it to the end.
I wish I could tell you the number of times I have heard even average golfers say something along the lines of “If I only had this shot…” or “If I didn’t have this injury…” or “If I didn’t have a wife and kids to support…” And then they complete the sentence this way: “…I would be on the Tour.”
My thoughts when I hear this (and yes, I hold these in my thoughts) are always the same: “As if freedom and desire were the only things needed to make it on the Tour.” Um, world-class skill? On-course savvy? Competitive fortitude? Dedication?
In the same way, I wonder about the level of understanding among those who call themselves followers of Jesus. Simply, nearly all of us have a long way to go to see it as Paul saw it. To stare hardship in the face and go anyway. To welcome “the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings” (Philippians 3:10). To say, “Heaven will be awesome and I’m looking forward to it. But you know, for now I’m eager to keep doing all God has given me to do here, ministering to him and to others.”
In a later echo of this same two-faceted perspective, Paul wrote to the Philippians that as much as he longed for heaven (“to die is gain”), here he had opportunity and drive to continue the work he had been given (“to live is Christ”). These dual infinitives seem opposed, but together they comprise the healthiest view one can possess en route to the end of one’s life—whether you consider that near or not.
On the one hand, we ache for eternity and hold its promise as the glorious ideal in our hearts and minds. On the other hand, we wholeheartedly seek out the work and ministry God has for us and we do it with the strong hope that we will bless others every day: “I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith” (Philippians 1:25). In this way, we are both heavenly-minded and earthly good!
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Jeff Hopper
January 23, 2018
Copyright 2018 Links Players International
The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.