Submitted by Sam
Nobles
“For me to live
is Christ, and to die is gain.” (Philippians 1:21 ESV)
People live for a
lot of different things. Some people live for football season. They love the
change in the weather that comes about that same time. They love the weekend get-togethers – they live for football. Some
people live for hunting and fishing. It’s just something about being outdoors
that does it for them. I personally know people that live for the Indy 500. I
don’t know why watching a bunch of fast cars make left turns makes a difference
in their lives, but it does.
According to the
words of the Apostle Paul, he lived for Christ. Preaching, teaching, or even
talking about Jesus is what did it for Paul. To him life had meaning and
purpose because of the person of Jesus Christ.
To live for Paul
was Christ, and because that’s who and what he lived for, he was able to say,
“and to die is gain.” You can’t say that about anything else in this world in
which we live. If you live for football, to die is the end of football. If you
live to hunt or fish, to die is the end of hunting and fishing. If you live for
the Indy 500, to die means the race is over. When it
comes to anything else in life, to die is to lose it all. To die is loss. The
old saying is true, “I never seen a hearse pulling a U-Haul.” You can only say,
“to die is gain” when you have lived your life for Jesus Christ.
What was
the best day of your life? Was the best day of your life when you turned 21 and
could do whatever you wanted? Was the best day of your life when you saved a
little money? Was the best day of your life your wedding day?
As wonderful
as your best day might have seemed, it was based upon you living for something
else. Just wait until you are able to walk in glory and see the Lord. In heaven
we will have at last truly come of age and no longer struggle with this flesh.
In heaven I believe that the majority of us will be shocked when we see the
rewards that Lord as waiting for us. At the marriage of the Lamb you will see
what you really longed for in your earthly marriage. Any relationship on earth
has happiness, but also real hurts—not in heaven.
If you
think living for the Lord here on this earth is great, hold on because
according to the Apostle Paul, the real gain is the day you see Jesus in
heaven. It will so far exceed your best day on earth, the day of your death
will be the best day of your life.
Scripture to Claim:
A good name is
better than precious ointment, and the day of death than the day of birth.”
(Ecclesiastes 7:1 ESV)
