![[Photo of a Scripture verse]](https://www.deankwilson.com/Blog_images/Philippians_1_20-21.jpg)
| “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 |
Almost everyone does not expect to die in the next moment of time. We all anticipate taking our next breath, having our heart continuing to beat, and living on into the next minute, hour, day, month, and year.
Yes, some dear folks have received the horrible news that the disease that ravages their bodies will terminate their life. In fact, in this very moment in time, all across the world, people are dying. Sometimes that death is somewhat anticipated. But often, it comes unexpectedly.
When I was very young, my somewhat older parents—mom was 42 and dad was 40 when they adopted me at my birth—began to experience the deaths of people they knew quite well. I went to many funerals even at quite a young age.
I remember my mother reading the obituaries from the newspaper to my father at the breakfast table. Sometimes those death notices would include the phrase “so and so died unexpectedly.” I’m certain the obituary writer intended to convey the fact that this particular person had not previously been ill and that his or her death was not something that the family expected to happen.
In reality, we all stand at the precipice between life and death. We do not know, from one moment to the next, if we will live or die. That’s a very sobering thought. And, it’s one that we frankly don’t like to think about.
There are so many ways in which we could pass from this life to the next. And, while we should not become morbid, nor spend our time brooding about this fact, we should think about the way the moments of our lives represent the God who loves us, especially during whatever time we have left on this earth.
The Apostle Paul addressed this very subject when he wrote to the Christians gathered at Philippi, as recorded in Philippians 1:20-21:
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.
Paul tells the Philippians (and us) in this passage that, whether he lives or dies, his single-minded purpose is to bring glory to his Savior. And, that is a good goal for us to aspire to, as we begin a new day.
Let’s determine that, for whatever time we may remain on this earth, we will devote ourselves to bringing glory to God through His Son, Jesus. Then, whether we live another 100 years, or die in the next moment, we will have done the very best we can to honor the love that God has poured into our lives through our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
