PhilippiansSample

‘For to me, to live is for Christ and to die is gain’ (verse 21). Wait, hold up...to die is what?? According to Paul, it’s better than living. It’s important to know that when Paul wrote this letter of Philippians to the Church of Philippi, he was on house arrest and waiting to hear the final verdict of his trial. There was actually a high chance that Paul could be found a traitor to Rome and sentenced to die even though he was not guilty. So he did not make this statement lightly. But how could Paul have this type of resolve; how could he have peace even when faced with death? I believe it’s because Paul discovered the greatest satisfaction that we can ever have; a life lived for Christ. Maltbie Babcock said, ‘Life is what we come alive to.’ And for Paul, Christ is what made his life come alive. Paul had learned that true, abundant life comes from Jesus (John 10:10). He had found purpose to his life because he was living it for Jesus. And when living a life for Christ, death is never your enemy, because Jesus overcame death though his resurrection. Paul knew that death was simply a departure into an eternity spent with Jesus. But Paul wasn’t just looking forward to death to escape his current circumstances; instead, he found joy in the midst of them. Paul had a joy that was not dependent upon external circumstances because it was rooted in Jesus. So no matter what Paul faced, even death, he knew he could have lasting joy. And we can too. In fact, Paul gives us a blueprint of how to have this: By living our life for Jesus and having Him as our foundation; simply meaning that everything in our life is built on Him. When we do this, we can have lasting joy, no matter our circumstances because "Joy is Our Choice."

Prayer points:

• Ask God for help in moving past anything that is keeping you from experiencing true and abundant life in Christ.
• Pray that God would help you move past any circumstances that are keeping you from experiencing true & lasting joy.