Death has a way of bringing things into perspective. One of my coworkers had a death in the family recently. At lunch yesterday a few people brought up how after a death in their family they just weren't as bothered by some things. They stopped being petty about little issues and realized that life is too short to spend it on things that aren't, in the grand scheme of life, that important. Paul approaches it this way.
"I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain." Philippians 1:20-21
Courage and the exaltation of God in your life are two things to think about when we realize that life is short. Paul knew in the end it was all about God, either serving him or being in his presence.
I must admit that whenever I think about courage the cowardly lion from the Wizard of Oz comes to mind. He just was paralyzed by his fears. He tried to act like he had courage but as soon as any difficulty popped up he ran away and hid and he was deeply ashamed. We are going to have trials. Some of them will scare us and seek to immobilize us. The truth is: If God is for us, who can be against us (Romans 8:31b)! Our courage comes from the truth that God loves us and sent his one and only Son to die for us and that Jesus is at the right hand of the Father interceding on our behalf. Have courage! God is with you!
Courage to do what? Courage to live a life that exalts Christ. How Paul did that was by coming to the realization that it didn't matter if he lived or died, Christ would be exalted in his life. Wherever he was, he was there for Christ. When he was in prison, where he wrote Philippians, he was a prisoner for Christ. For Paul life was serving God and death was seeing God. That's a win - win anyway you look at it.
That leaves the to do's for us: Live for Christ. Where are you right now? Be that for Christ. Be a teacher for Christ, a customer service rep for Christ, a dock worker for Christ, a engineer for Christ, a _____ (fill in the blank) for Christ. I might add, be a husband or wife, mother or father and friend for Christ.
In the end the two things that matter are that we serve Christ and then we get to see him. Either way it's a win - win for us.
Father, anoint us to serve you by faith with courage and to not be ashamed of the gospel. Thank you that we will one day be in your Presence. Praise be to you in us today!
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