To Live or Die?
For me, to live is Christ and to die is gain."
Scripture: "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know!" – Philippians 1:21-22
Devotional Reflection
Paul’s words in Philippians 1:21-22 capture the paradox of the Christian life: whether in life or in death, Christ is all. He does not speak as a man desperate to escape suffering, longing for heaven merely as a relief from earthly struggles. Nor does he cling to life out of fear or attachment to worldly gain. Instead, he holds both life and death in their proper perspective—each an avenue of deeper fellowship with Christ.
Living means fruitful labor, a continuing participation in Christ’s life and work on earth. This is not a reluctant endurance of life’s burdens, nor a mere duty, but a joyful, meaningful existence. Paul finds no tension between living and dying because both are defined by the same reality: Christ is life itself.
Yet, he acknowledges the surpassing gain of departing to be with the Lord. Death, for the believer, is not loss but gain, not an end but a fuller beginning. And that confidence transforms the way we live now. When Christ is our life, we are not seeking meaning from temporary things—money, recognition, health, or pleasure. Instead, our life is securely anchored in an eternal Person, so death is no longer a fearful unknown but a step into deeper communion with Him.
What are we living for? If our answer is anything less than Christ, then death will feel like loss. But when Christ is our life, then both life and death are simply opportunities to know Him more.
Personal Journal Entry
Lord, You are my life. Not merely a part of it, not a supplement to my plans, not a distant hope reserved for eternity—but my very life, here and now.
Paul’s words resonate in my spirit because they are the words of one who sees reality as it is. He was not caught up in the illusion that life consists in anything apart from You. He did not live for comfort, success, or even his own ministry. He lived in the certainty that he belonged to You, and that was enough. I see that now.
To live is Christ. That means every moment is infused with purpose, because You are the One living through me. It means I do not chase after meaning—I rest in it. I do not scramble to create significance—I abide in it. My existence is not something to grasp at but to yield to, because You are the One defining it.
And to die is gain. How could it not be? If my life is found in You, then passing from this world is simply stepping into a fuller awareness of what has always been true. There is no fear in that. Only joy.
I do not long for death as an escape, nor do I hold onto life as if it were my own to control. I simply rest in the reality that I am Yours—now, and forever. Whether I remain or whether I go, it is all Christ. And that is more than enough.
Prayer
Father, I thank You that Christ is my life. There is no lack, no striving, no uncertainty—only the unshakable reality of being Yours. Whether I walk this earth for many years or whether I step into eternity today, I rejoice in the truth that my life is hidden in Christ. Thank You that I do not have to cling to temporary things to find meaning. You have given me all in Christ, and I rest in the fullness of His life within me.
Amen.
Devotional Credit: Immeasurably More, March 6
Photo Credit: Unsplash
Unsplash Image Suggestion: A peaceful mountain trail with golden morning light filtering through the trees, evoking the sense of walking with Christ in this life while looking forward to the journey ahead.