To live is Christ
Philippians 1:18b-24
18bAnd I will continue to rejoice. 19 For I know that as you pray for me and the Spirit of Jesus Christ helps me, this will lead to my deliverance.
20 For I fully expect and hope that I will never be ashamed, but that I will continue to be bold for Christ, as I have been in the past. And I trust that my life will bring honor to Christ, whether I live or die. 21 For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better. 22 But if I live, I can do more fruitful work for Christ. So I really don’t know which is better. 23 I’m torn between two desires: I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me. 24 But for your sakes, it is better that I continue to live.
Today’s soaring passage declares for me some of the main purposes and principles for living.
To share the good news of Jesus
To live with both present and eternal hope
To live with Christ at the centre of life
To live with the expectation of eternal glory and an understanding that life is fragile and fleeting
To live in connection with others and in community through prayer.
As I reflect on these challenging and lofty principles, I know that I often fall short of doing many of them well, but I also reflect that in God’s grace I have been able to make forward progress throughout my life toward living in AA way that honours Christ through upholding these values.
Lord, I pray that by Your grace and through the power of Your Spirit, that I would continue to have growth and progress in all these areas
Written by Ps. Justin Ware