In review of Philippians 1:21 Paul tells us, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain” (NIV).
To those who don't believe in God, life on earth is all there is, and so it is natural for them to strive for this world's values. For Paul, however, to live meant to develop eternal values and to tell others about Christ, who alone could help them see life from an eternal perspective. Paul's whole purpose in life was to speak out boldly for Christ and to become more like him. Thus, Paul could confidently say that dying would be even be even better than living, because in death he would be removed from worldly troubles, and he would see Christ face to face.
Happiness comes from service and giving my life away. Until you understand this, you’re not going to be happy for much of your life. Happiness does not come from self-gratification. It comes from self-sacrifice.
Paul knew that to be happy, he had to stay focused on his purpose and not his problems. He summed up his purpose in Philippians 1:21: “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain” (NIV).
Honestly, If I w”as asked to fill in the blanks, “For me to live is __________, I would say to feel good and to not experience hassles or stress. There could be a lot of good things I could answer, but nothing deserves the place of the One who created me and gave me my life: Jesus Christ.
How I fill in that blank, will determine how happy I am in life. If my answer is selfish, then I’m not going to be unhappy. The issue isn’t whether there’s something wrong with those things; they just don’t deserve first place. I wasn’t created to make a bunch of money, then die, and give it away. God has a far greater purpose for my life. There is only one answer that leads to happiness: To live is Christ. Give my life away. It is my purpose!
In summary, to live is Christ and to die is gain. to live means to develop eternal values and to tell others about Christ. Paul's whole purpose, and perhaps I should make it mine, is to speak out boldly for Christ and to become more like him. What I'm learning is that happiness comes from service and giving my life away. Happiness doesn't not come from self-gratification, rather it comes from self-sacrifice. Paul knew that to be happy, he had to stay focused on his purpose and not his problems. Nothing deserves the first place in my life than the one who created me and gave me life; Jesus Christ. God has a far greater purpose for my life. So there is only one answer that leads to happiness: to live is Christ. So I need to learn to give my life away. It is my purpose.
Today I pray Father: “That you know that I often let circumstances determine my happiness. You know that I often allow the killjoys of pain and problems and pressures and picky people to rob my happiness. Help me to look at every problem in my life from your viewpoint. I want to handle problems in a way that is a witness to nonbelievers and an encouragement to believers. Help me to remember that what others say and do does not control my happiness unless I allow it. And as for the things that happen that I don’t understand or can’t figure out, I want to trust you to work it all out for good. Help me to stay focused on your purpose for my life and not be focused on my problems. I want to use the rest of my life to serve you by serving others. Use me, Lord, so I have a purpose for living and for dying. From this day on, for me to live is Christ. I also ask for your wisdom and guidance for my day, my leadership and my interaction with others. These things I pray in your Son Jesus name. Amen.”
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