Drawing Closer to Christ

"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! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far;"

Philippians 1:21-23

In this passage, Paul expresses his longing to depart from this life and be with Christ, which he says is far

better than remaining in the flesh. Yet he also recognizes that his ministry is still needed for the sake of the Philippians and other believers. He is torn between two desires: to depart and be with Christ, or to remain and serve Christ.

As we come to the last Friday of Lent, this passage invites us to reflect on our own desires and priorities. What are we living for? What are we willing to die for? How do we balance our personal relationship with Christ and our service to his body, the church?

Hopefully, this Lent we have found time to examine our hearts and repent of anything that hinders us from following Christ fully. When we spend intentional time in prayer, fasting, and devotions we discover what it is that motivates us and moves us forward. There is certainly nothing wrong with being motivated and wanting to move forward in life, unless we are making those moves without having fully devoted our ourselves and our plans to Jesus.

And that is the beauty of Lent; it helps us to slow down and take time to renew our commitment to live for Christ and his glory, to reflect on our desires and make sure they are based in Christ and His will for our lives, and not just in what we want. As Paul was writing to the Philippians, he realized that, although he was torn by two desires, he was able to discern the will of God for his life.

For the believer, to live should be Christ, and to die should be gain but we only find God’s will for our lives by drawing closer to Christ – and that is why we celebrate Lent.

Let us pray:

Lord Jesus, you are our life and our hope. You have called us to follow you and to share in your sufferings and your glory. Help us to live for you in every circumstance, and to seek your will above our own. Give us grace to serve you faithfully and joyfully, until the day we see you face to face. Amen.

Shalom for a holy Lent,

Pastor Brad