To Live?

Every single day that I live I wake up and at some point that day I have this thought run through my mind and it goes something like this "I really think that one day, hopefully tomorrow,  I will go to a remote jungle or a hostile country and live there and preach the Gospel and Die for the Gospel." This thought comes in very many forms and is initiated by many things but it is one I have very often. for some reason though this week it has been more prevalent and has come into conversation multiple times.


The other day it became extremely strong as I was reading scripture. I am currently in the middle of preaching through the book of Philippians while also memorizing it and just yesterday I came across Philippians 1:21 which says "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." I have read this passage many times over in the course of my life but I had never seen it in the light I did yesterday. I began to break this verse down in my mind and while doing so I started with what I knew which was the latter part of the verse. According to scripture when we die we meet Christ. We see him in all of his glory and majesty and it is something so beautiful and magnificent there are no words to describe the feeling and  affections that will be present in that moment. Any mature Christian who understands the Gospel knows this and should look forward to this with such yearning and desire for it that would lead us to make the statement Paul makes here in Philippians saying "to die is gain." But then I began to look at the beginning part of this verse and was deeply perplexed by Paul's placement of words.


"For me to live is Christ" This is the statement that Paul first uses in this verse. most of us would look at this and go "What Paul is saying is that when I am living it must be for Christ" that is a true statement but what I had come to see is that we say this often but it never penetrates and explodes in our soul to the point that we live it. This lead me to question what is "To live"? 


Some would say that to live is to become famous, or to have money, or to find love! to even a less extreme most common "Christian", and non-christian,  people would say that to live is to have a family and raise good children, or have friends, or comfort, or security. Then I thought of how "Christians" often list priorities as 1. God, 2. Family, 3. Others, and last Me. Some people might even be as extreme to say that "All I need in life is the essentials" so what are those? Well they would be my needs! Then what is a need? The automatic response would be Food, Water, and Shelter. This is a normal human response it is what we must have to live! But what is the "Need" of a Christian (A true Christian)? I am convinced that what paul is saying and the Conclusion is JESUS!


I 100% believe that what Paul is saying, as he is inspired by the sovereign Holy Spirit, is that "To Live" which means my life and my purpose and everything I own and need is CHRIST! That whether I have food, shelter, or water is of no thought to me because even without any of those "Essential life giving needs" there is only one who gives life and has truly given me life and that is Christ. Therefore none of those are anything to me and I could do without for I know I have Christ and in knowing that I MUST live in light of that!


As I broke that down and began to see all of this unfold in my heart and soul it lit this passion that I explained in the beginning which was to go to a hostile country or tribe and every day live in fear of death and in fear of never seeing my loved ones again why? Not so I can say I was that guy who suffered for Christ or so people may one day hear a story about me that causes an emotional experience that brings them to the alter but rather because I realized if I am to live it must be for Christ. And if I am called to proclaim the Gospel and salvation comes by hearing the Word of God and there are hostile tribes in the world that have not heard the Word of God then that is where I want to be.


Some may read this and take this blog as if I am talking about suffering but while there are tones of suffering weaved throughout this blog that is not my big idea. What my big idea is, is a simple question and that is - what is your definition of "To Live"? Because what my heart screams is that we are living for ourselves. We live to fill our "Needs", most of which are wants, and we live to comfort ourselves and so much energy and work go into ourselves while we ignore scripture as it yells in our souls through a large blow horn "NO! YOUR LIFE IS NOT YOUR OWN IT IS CHRIST'S" and it bounces around throughout our souls echoing in so many different ways whether it be saying "YOU DON'T NEED A BIGGER HOUSE!" or "YOU DON'T NEED A RELATIONSHIP!" in each of our lives it is different and it is constant and it changes how it manifests but WE MUST NOT IGNORE IT!!!! and we MUST submit to it.