Fruitful Labor
Some proclaim Christ from envy and
rivalry, but others from goodwill. These proclaim Christ out of love, knowing
that I have been put here for the defense of the gospel; the others proclaim
Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but intending to increase my
suffering in my imprisonment. What does it matter? Just this, that Christ is
proclaimed in every way, whether out of false motives or true; and in that I
rejoice.
Yes, and I will continue to rejoice,
for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ
this will turn out for my deliverance. It is my eager expectation and hope that
I will not be put to shame in any way, but that by my speaking with all
boldness, Christ will be exalted now as always in my body, whether by life or
by death. For to me, living is Christ and dying is gain. If I am to live in the
flesh, that means fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which I prefer. I am
hard pressed between the two: my desire is to depart and be with Christ, for
that is far better: but to remain in the flesh is more necessary for you. Since
I am convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with all of you
for your progress and joy in faith, so that I may share abundantly in your
boasting in Christ Jesus when I come to you again.
If you have undergone cancer surgery
or had heart problems you are sometimes alone with your thoughts. Many of us
have faced death before, with a loved one, but there is a shock when we deal
with our own destiny, and our own life and death.
There may be a realization at some
point that losing someone you love is more threatening than the possibility of
losing your own life. If you have accepted Jesus, you have already made the
decision that you are ready to die. You can’t say that for someone else because
you can’t know if they are ready to die. Confidence in where you are going will
mean you win the race here and now, and for all eternity.
We can really
live if we are ready to die.
Our Daily
Bread –