To Live is Christ

Even in the midst of intense persecution and imprisonment Paul clearly displayed a desire to share Christ with others. The message of the gospel was more important than his life circumstances. "To live is Christ but to die is gain." This is a man who lived to the glory of God, who lived to encourage and equip believers in order that they might participate in and further the Kingdom.

Philippians 1:9-11,20 (NLT)
I pray that your love for each other will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in your knowledge and understanding. For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until Christ returns. May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation--those good things that are produced in your life by Jesus Christ--for this will bring much glory and praise to God.

For I live in eager expectation and hope that I will never do anything that causes me shame, but that I will always be bold for Christ, as I have been in the past, and that my life will always honor Christ, whether I live or I die.

This was Paul's desire. This was his prayer. I must ask myself if I too, share in the same prayer. I hope so. Comapartively, I do not face the same persecution. I am not imprisoned for my beliefs. However, the call to participate in and further the Kingdom still remains. I guess the question is: will we answer?