Live or Die; Win-win

The apostle Paul sat in a prison facing the very real possibility of execution because of his work advancing the kingdom of Christ. As he considered what lie ahead, he wrote, in Philippians 1:20-21, "… now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. [21] For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. …"

Paul, unlike many Christians today, understood that life wasn't about him. His personal comfort, his livelihood, his position in society, his possessions, his safety - all the things folks tend to spend the majority of their time and energy to secure - were not his concern.  He had, in fact, "learned the secret of being content in any and all circumstance" ( Phil 2:12).  His secret?  "I can do all things [endure all things] through Christ who gives me strength" (Phil 2:13).

Paul's strength - his resolve about life and death - came from his awareness that he was not here to experience life but rather to live for King Jesus. Do you recall the famous line from the movie, The Blues Brothers, "We're on a mission from God"?  That was Paul's reality, not just a scripted assertion.

Paul knew that if he died because he had been advancing the kingdom of Christ, it would be to God's glory and to his personal enrichment as he was taken to glory. On the other hand, if God rescued him from death, it would be to God's glory that he continued to advance the kingdom and encourage the Christian Brotherhood.

For Paul, life or death equaled a win-win situation because he was not living for himself in some temporal existence. Paul was living for the King of Glory and that life only begins here but is fulfilled in eternity. Paul was prepared to live for his King on either side of Glory. 

What about you?  Are ou prepared to live or die for the glory of King Jesus?  Are you on a mission from God?  Is your investment in this life or His kingdom?

Jus' Askn.