Thursday, January 19, 2017

What Do You Live For?

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)

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