Life hurts sometimes. In fact, I’m willing to bet that for many of us, life hurts most of the time.
Why?
First, I’d like to offer an observation. Many of us are slaves to a system of progressive advancement and self-improvement. I have news for you. In the ultimate sense, you’re not getting better, you’re getting worse.
You’re dying.
Now, this isn’t some self-loathing, emo, let’s all join a depression support group post. Rather, simply an attempt to enlighten us to the lie we digest daily from, well, everywhere.
24/7, We are faced with an onslaught of products, programs, and procedures that will help us feel better, live longer, get rich, and be happy. Oh, so happy.
False.
At the end of the party, you go in the dirt. Not happy. No programs. No products. Dirt.
Disclaimer – Let me point out that I do not believe your life has no value. What you leave behind may very well be important to your friends, family, or if your influence was grand, the whole world. You should work in your sphere of influence accordingly. Use it wisely. Your stuff and achievements might stick around, but you won’t.
So what is life for? Life is predominantly one thing:
An Opportunity, to experience and share Christ.
“To Live is Christ, and To Die is Gain” Paul the Apostle Philippians 1:21
As much as the Gospel is about grace, redemption, miracles, healing, ethics, morality, and so on. It is a story of pain.
Jesus Christ lived a life free from sin, but no where even close to free from pain. He was homeless, poor, tired, hungry, and ultimately murdered in the most horrific manner known to human history.
To Live is Pain. Paul understood this very well, for his story unfolded very much the same as Jesus’. (Minus the Divinity) He also understood that in his story of pain, he was graced with the most significant opportunity has to offer. Christ.
See for Paul, once he had acquired Christ, there was nothing further be found. There was nothing further to be lost either. To him, Christ is complete.
To us also, Christ intends to be complete.
So, do we mirror Paul’s attitude? Do we see life as a daily opportunity to experience Christ and share the complete joy found in Him? Or is life a series of events, progress, achievements, and self-improvement?
Life is either Christ, or nothing.
Death is either Gain, or total Loss.
“No Pain, No Gain”
All the programs and products in the world can’t measure up to the gain Christ offers on the other side. May we find Him, and may we treasure Him more than anything else. Through every hardship and struggle. Through everyday we are granted, until our Gain is realized completely.
Grace|Peace
