Philippians 1:22-23Now if I live on in the flesh, this means fruitful work for me; and I don't know which one I should choose. 23 I am pressured by both. I have the desire to depart and be with Christ—which is far better— Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
Some, perhaps many of us, have gone through enough in life, faced enough challenges, suffered losses, and have endured ongoing trials to the point where we have literally thought or prayed, "come Lord Jesus, come". At the same time, we realize that it is not our place to choose. What we can choose is to live for Christ now, until He does come to bring us home.
Today's verses describe that feeling in Paul and he shares it with his readers including us. He wanted to "depart" this live and live for eternity with Christ, but realized there was still work for him to do. The word used for "depart" in the verse could be translated in several different ways. One is to "strike the tent", literally break camp, to pack up and go. Another is the picture of a prisoner being released from his shackles - being freed. A third is a picture of a boat being untied from its moorings, ready to set sail out into the blue. All three are fitting.
Whether we want to break camp, be freed from shackles of pain suffering or sin, or be freed to "set sail", we can all look forward to that time when one day He will call us to do so. But if we, like Paul, "plan to be around a while" (The Message) may we choose to live for Him, trusting in the meantime in the in between time.
Philippians 1:22-26The Message (MSG)
22-26 As long as I'm alive in this body, there is good work for me to do. If I had to choose right now, I hardly know which I'd choose. Hard choice! The desire to break camp here and be with Christ is powerful. Some days I can think of nothing better. But most days, because of what you are going through, I am sure that it's better for me to stick it out here. So I plan to be around awhile, companion to you as your growth and joy in this life of trusting God continues. You can start looking forward to a great reunion when I come visit you again. We'll be praising Christ, enjoying each other.
No comments:
Post a Comment