Morning Devotional
October  11, 2005
"A Good Race" (Part 11)     
    by Don Emmitte

For I know that through your prayers and the help given by the Spirit of Jesus Christ, what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance. I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. 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; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, so that through my being with you again your joy in Christ Jesus will overflow on account of me.  (Philippians 1:19-26 NLT).

 

I’ve always had difficulty with the highlighted verses in our reading today. Paul knew enough about God and eternity to know that the best was still to come in his life. He also knew that God was using him in building the Kingdom. It seemed well to him to leave earth and go to be with God, but his heart was also to the plow of service for Christ’s glory. He was torn between the two. For me, I have always leaned toward the living than not. That hasn’t been because I did not know that eternal life waited, or that heaven was in any way inferior to our earthly life. I am completely confident that when I die I will be in heaven with Christ. I am completely convinced that heaven is far superior to earth! It’s just that I have always had a nagging feeling that there was something more I needed to see or do here.

 

That’s at the heart of Paul’s rhetorical question, "Yet what shall I choose?” Many years ago, as I sat with a lady dying from cancer, her body full of pain and anguish, she knew she was soon to die. I asked her what she would have me pray for her. Instead of asking God to relieve the pain, she asked me to pray for her family. In the dying moments of life, she realized she wanted her work of prayer for her family to continue, even after she went into eternity. I think I saw her truest heart. She had a desire to depart and be with God, but she also continued to be burdened for her family.

 

In the balance of the Christian life we may have the same emotions. We can long to be in the presence of God for eternity; where there is no pain, no heartache and no trials, but there is much work to be done here. God has ministry for us to accomplish. We should be torn between the two. As long as I live I want to serve Jesus. When my days on earth are over I will forever dwell with my Savior. That realization keeps me content along the paths of life. It will bring you contentment also.