My Best Life And Death

For we don’t live for ourselves or die for ourselves. If we live, it’s to honor the Lord. And if we die, it’s to honor the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. [Romans 14.7-8]

We should all look at what Paul said here in purity. By that I mean, we should see ourselves, as Paul said, as belonging to the Lord and that our living or dying is purely and strictly up to Him and Him alone.

Here is the progression of my understanding of life as it pertains to God's Word: I am coming to the realization that life and death are out of my control (regardless what popular opinion would have us believe). Whether I live or die, I belong to the Lord and He is to be honored either way.

So, if I honor the Lord, neither life nor death should cause me anxiety or fear. 

Paul said this in His letter to the Colossians:

For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. [Colossians 3.3]

Jesus lived life with this purpose: to honor God. Jesus died with this purpose: to honor God. If my life is indeed hid with Christ in God, then honoring God is my only purpose - whether in living or in dying.

If I spend all my resources and time trying to live or die, I have abandoned the task of honoring God. I have but one purpose like Christ my Lord: to honor God. The prospects of living or dying hang entirely upon the purpose of honoring God. I am not my own. Neither my life nor my death should bring me honor, but honor to the One Who redeemed me.

To be like Jesus however, I have been given a specific task:

Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me. [Luke 9.23]

Jesus knew the Cross was His destination from the beginning. But, He also knew the timing for the full realization of the Cross was strictly up to God. His purpose remained fixed on honoring God - the Cross would come soon enough, and in God's time. So it is with me. However, I am tasked with the cycle of both living and dying every day! In fact, until I die every day to honor God (following Jesus), I will never live every day to honor God (again, following Jesus). To "take up my cross" simply says: "I am ultimately headed for death, so whether I live or die today is of no consequence. What matters is that I honor God. And, I can only honor God as I am in Christ and He in me."

If, by now in considering this, I have not yet breathed a sigh of relief, then I still don't get it - I remain self-focused on living or dying burdened by all the cares associated with them. In this condition, there is no possibility of honoring or pleasing God. There only remains the need for salvation - to repent of my self-focus and trust entirely upon Jesus Christ. Whether living my best in Christ or dying my best in Christ, "in Christ" is the only way to honor God. Living or dying are no longer my choice or my goal - my choice is Jesus.

Father, thank You for Jesus for, in Him, and in Him alone, I know I honor You because He honored You. If, in honoring You, I live, then so be it. If, in honoring You, I die, then so be it. Whether I live or die is not my concern. May You be honored as You look upon me and see only Jesus.