For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
- How would you rephrase this verse, putting it in your own words?
- If living is Christ for Paul, how is dying even greater?
- What is it that you are living for?
- What would it take to get you to the place where you can honestly echo Paul’s words here?
- How do we break habits of living for something/someone other than Christ?
2 comments:
Carmen says:
As long as Paul is alive he will preach the Good News, (to live is Chirst) at death he will live eternally coming face to face with Christ and no longer experience the troubles of this life. (to die is gain)
Paul dedicated his entire being to sharing the news of Christ with others and will continue to do this until his death, which he eagerly anticipates at this stage in his life.
We faulter because this is the only life we know as human creations. We are comfortable with what we are familiar...life on earth. As Christians we are told there is a better ETERNAL life for us, but we still hold onto the life that we know. Once we are certain of our eternity, we are free to serve Him and devote ourselves to what really matters without fear of death. Studying the word daily is the only way for me to stay on target with all the 'noise' that surrounds me. (which I don't always do I confess!)
Paul's imprisonment allowed him new avenues to preach.
Perhaps imprisonment isn't such a bad thing. I have visited the local prison and found some true conversions there. Some people find Christ when looking up is the only place for them to look. God meets us at our lowest point if we will just open our eyes to see.
(I'm posting my response first, then reading Carmen's, so sorry if I repeat or whatever).
1. "As far as I'm concerned, I would be better off dead and with Christ, but as I'm still alive I will live for Christ."
2. Because now we only see dimly...then face to face...
3. Well, sometimes I'm living to take care of my family, sometimes it's just filling in the hours until it's over, sometimes it's for that cup of coffee waiting for me, but I hope that overall and through it all I'm living for Christ to be glorified in/through/despite/ my failings and because of his love and mercy.
4. Wanting to leave this world isn't the hard issue for me. Staying is the hard part. But "to live is Christ" and he knows best so...I wake up and do what I have to do that day. And sometimes, there's a lot of joy in that. And sometimes it's really hard.
5. We don't break habits, we can't. We're broken. But God can and does work in us (and yes, we do have to cooperate) but even that he makes possible. I'm not talking about being without responsibility in our choices and such. I'm just saying that it is the same power of God that raised Jesus from the dead that helps us to live godly lives for him.
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