Christian Devotional – February 27, 2020

Running the Race – #6

Philippians 1:18-24 – What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed; and in this I rejoice. Yes, and I will rejoice, for I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayers and the provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, according to my earnest expectation and hope, that I will not be put to shame in anything, but that with all boldness, Christ will even now, as always, be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which to choose. But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better; yet to remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sake.
Philippians 1:18‭-‬24 NASB
https://bible.com/bible/100/php.1.18-24.NASB

It’s all about Christ. Everything Paul does, everything that he thinks, every action that he makes is all about Jesus Christ. His entire focus rests on what he believes that Jesus Christ would have him to do. How single minded are we? When we look at our lives and the actions that we take each day, are we focused solely on Jesus Christ?

As Paul looked at his life, every situation was evaluated under the idea of how does Christ want this handled, and what does Christ want me to do? This is how he’s able to say “for me to live is Christ and to die is gain.” Every waking moment of every day for Paul led to a greater awareness and closeness to Jesus Christ as he was seeking to live more like him each day. If Paul were to die, which was a very real possibility since he was in prison, he knew that he would be in heaven, which would definitely be gain over this world. Those were the only 2 options that Paul saw.

How many options do we see in our life? If we are not as single focused as Paul, what is getting in our way and distracting us. How can we eliminate the areas that are not worthy? Today, be all about Christ.