“For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better.” (Philippians 1:21 NLT)
Taken on its own, this quote from Paul’s letter to the church at Phillipi sounds odd! Time for Paul to call the suicide hotline?
But this quote from Philippians, Paul’s “letter of joy,” is actually a triumphant shout on Paul’s part. He loves life, even when it isn’t easy, and in fact eventually concludes that he will live as long as he can to help others (see vs. 24-25).
But Paul also makes a bold Christian witness – heaven is awesome, and he can’t wait to be with Jesus! Or as Anna-Lisa’s aunt, Lois Walfrid Johnson, titled her book about her fight with cancer, Either Way, I Win!
At Easter we celebrate the central miracle of Christianity, the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Good News is that in Christ, our sins are forgiven and we too are promised resurrection and eternal life.
Yet many people, even Christians, still fear death. Why? Maybe they cling to the familiar things of this life a little too closely. Others worry about whether death will be painful. Some harbor doubts about what comes after death.
Many who live, also live fearfully. They are timid instead of bold, cautious instead of loving. For some folks, fear of death overshadows joy of life. How sad!
Paul’s bold statement is that live or die, either way I win. Living means living for Christ, living abundantly, living joyfully, living generously so that others might share the joy of Christ. And dying means resurrection and eternal life, heavenly life at the side of Jesus Christ our friend and savior. Either way, we win!
Sunday mornings we are exploring “Death & Life Situations” through May 3. Come and join us for the adventure!
Pastor Park