“If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again” (Philippians 1:22-26).
George Bailey wanted to be anywhere other than Bedford Falls. If you’re asking “George who?”, you’re probably one of the few people on the planet who’s never seen the classic flick “It’s a Wonderful Life.” He had a burning desire to pack his bags and travel the world. But just as he was about to hit the road, something happened that changed everything. George’s dad died. Somebody had to run the family business, the Bailey Building and Loan. Suddenly, what he wanted took a backseat to what others needed.
A couple of thousand years before, a guy named Paul mulls over a similar choice. He’s always dreamed of spending eternity with Jesus. There’s absolutely nothing better. Talk about the ultimate destination! Some folks dream of retiring to the Caribbean. Others long for lounging in a hammock outside a cabin in the Rockies. Not Paul. Ever since that day just outside of Damascus (Acts 9:1-9), he’s had one thing on his bucket list. Spending eternity in the presence of Jesus. That sounds especially appealing since he’s sitting in behind bars in Rome. Like George Bailey, the apostle would love nothing better than to hit the road for heaven. He can’t wait for Christ to call him home so he could start hanging out with his Savior. But realizes that his friends in Philippi have a need. They’re just coming to understand what it means to follow Jesus. They’ve only begun to wrap their brains around the overflowing life He wants for believers on this side of eternity. They desperately need to know what this looks like. So what Paul wants takes a backseat to what others need.
The apostle has just written about the ultimate win-win situation he faces. “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Phil 1:21). If he lives, he gets to make Jesus famous wherever he goes. If he dies, it’s face time with the Son of God. Now he teases out a few of the specifics of the win-win. It’s a tough choice. The dude is seriously torn! “Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell” (v22). I love how this reads in the New Living Translation: “I really don’t know which is better” (v22 NLT). No matter what happens, he can’t lose.
Let’s see what Paul has to say about his two choices. First of all, how ‘bout his dream of spending forever with the One who came to his rescue. “My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better” (v23). If this decision is simply about what the apostle wants, it’s a no brainer. It’s Jesus time! Being with the risen Savior is “far better” (v23). The phrase in the original language literally translates as “more better.” I can see all you grammar geeks squirming. Sorry, but that’s just how it reads in Greek. This isn’t the only time this has come up for the man from Tarsus. He tells the folks in Corinth how “we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord” (2Cor 5:8). Being with Jesus isn’t just an eenie weanie bit better. This isn’t a photo finish. It’s not even close. Paul doesn’t sugar coat what he prefers. If it’s totally up to him, he’d rather be with Jesus.
But here’s the deal. While the apostle may want to pack his bags and head for heaven, he knows there’s a need that takes priority. A very important need. “But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith” (v24-25). Being with Jesus may be more better, but being with the Philippians is “more necessary” (v24). He drops a Greek word (Gr. anagkaios) that means urgent. The Philippians are on the front burner. Teaching these new believers what it means to follow Jesus is top priority. It takes precedence over any desire Paul has to punch out of his earthly life and be with Christ. What the apostle wants takes a backseat to what others need.
This isn’t about what Paul wants. It’s about what’s best for the Gospel. It’s about what’s best for the Philippians. Their need is more important than his want. It would be very easy for the apostle to adopt an it’s-all-about-me attitude since he’s cooling his heels in Caesar’s supermax. Let’s be honest, who wouldn’t rather be with Jesus than locked up with a jail full of Rome’s Most Wanted? He gives us a picture of what some people call a “me third” attitude. God first. Others second. Me third. Paul’s wants now rank third on his list of priorities. Glorifying God always ranks number one. That’s followed by his concern for others. That includes his friends in Philippi. He’s ready and willing to sacrifice his desire to be with Jesus so that the folks back in this little Macedonian church can fall more deeply in love with their Savior.
When we think about what Jesus did for us, it makes perfect sense. Christ had perfect friendship with the Trinity. There was no better place to be. There was no reason to leave. But there was a need. The people God created in His image had trashed His perfect creation and given Him a spiritual stiff arm. They had sinned and rejected their relationship with Him. Something had to be done. Instead of kicking back and relaxing in paradise, Jesus saw the need and got busy. He left the comforts of heaven to come to our rescue. For the sake of our incredible need, He made incredible sacrifice. That’s exactly the sacrifice Paul talks about a little later in Philippians 2:1-11. For Jesus, it’s not about rights. It’s not about self. It’s about someone else’s needs. He counts others more important than Himself. The King of Kings becomes the Servant of Servants.
Christ calls each one of us to the same kind of sacrifice. It’s not about our wants. It’s about others’ needs. We respond to the Gospel when we intentionally invest into the lives of others. Jesus gives to us so that we can give to others. Would it be a whole lot easier just to kick back and relax? You betcha. But the Lord calls us to get off our blessed assurance and pour into others. Who has He dropped into your life to be a firehouse of His grace? Your next door neighbor? The barista at the coffee shop? The dude in the cube behind you at work? Give to them without any expectation of anything in return. Hey, it’s what Jesus did for you me. That’s the very definition of grace. Tullian Tchividjian calls it one-way love. Folks will be surprised when you don’t have an angle. You simply love because you’ve been loved. You invest because Someone has invested in you.
That leads us to the secret sauce of service and sacrifice: God blesses you in the process! When you put aside what you want in order to serve a need, Jesus gives you something so much better than you thought you wanted in the first place. Who saw THAT coming?!? SPOILER ALERT! After living his entire life in Bedford Falls, George Bailey finds the blessing of putting his dreams on hold while serving the needs of others. (Okay, this one’s on you if I just spoiled the big ending to a movie made in 1946.) Paul knows it too. You see, crazy things happen when what we want takes a backseat to what others need.
No comments:
Post a Comment