The Purpose of Living

Scripture

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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. (Philippians 1:20)

 

Observation

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I thought I did everything Christians were supposed to do: go to church, sing a couple of songs, pray, tithe and read the word. Make no mistake, these are all good for my spiritual walk, but I missed the essence, which is the heart of my relationship with God. Christianity, then became merely a security blanket, as if a guarantee to eternal life if I did all these (is it though?). Paul's letter to the Philippians showed a contrast of his view of Christian living, one where Christ is magnified in him, live or die.

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Application

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To me, to live was to be happy, shown by how I maybe would run after things like money, and to die was a tragedy. However, Paul's view of life greatly contrasted mine. To him, to live is Christ and to die is gain. Nothing wrong in us trying to be happy, but Paul was ready to embrace whatever circumstances a life for Christ would bring, even death. Paul's example made me reflect on some of my purposes in life. Instead of seeking after the things of the world, we could desire to know Jesus more and to point others to Him, even if it means coming out of comfort zones.

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Prayer

 

Jesus, you love us so much and many times, we need you more than we realise and what we don't realise even more, is how little we know about you. I pray that like Paul, knowing you, pursuing you, living for you and helping others know you will be all that matters to me.