Is Life About I Or You?

   What is life about?  What should be my focus in life?  When I look at life, do I need to use any other pronouns other than first person singular?  Consider Paul’s outlook.  With the possibility of having his life taken from him while imprisoned in Rome, Paul reflected on the purpose of his life.

 “In nothing I shall be ashamed” (Phil. 1:20).  That’s a worthy endeavor for life, which literally suggests that I will not allow others to do anything that would put me to shame as a Christian.

“With all boldness…Christ will be magnified in my body” (1:20).  Christ will not only be seen in my life when others look at me (cf. Gal. 2:20), but He will be magnified, glorified and exalted in all that I do, and it will be with boldness.

“For to me, to live is Christ” (1:21).  There is no higher aim in life than to crucify self (Rom. 6:6) and to be made alive in Christ (Rom. 6:11) and with Christ (Eph. 2:5).  After all, as Paul said in Colossians 3:4, Christ “is our life.”

“For to me…to die is gain” (1:21).  As wonderful as living for Christ is (in this mortal life), our eternal souls earnestly desire to be swallowed up by eternal life (2 Cor. 5:1-4) and to receive the eternal reward (Matt. 25:34) that has been prepared for us by none other than our Savior (John 14:1-3).

“If I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor” (1:22).  The diligent labor of the Christian life brings forth fruit in this life (by God’s increase, 1 Cor. 3:6), and, in the next life, “his own reward according to his own labor” (3:8).  Faithful Christians will be blessed to “rest from their labors,” and equally true, “their works follow with them” (Rev. 14:13).

“I am hard pressed…My desire is…” (1:23).  Life has choices.  Choices have consequences.  Some consequences are good and would be acceptable under any circumstances.  But, other consequences are sensational and far exceed even the best of “the good.”  A Christian’s heart simply yields to God and says, “Your will, not mine, be done!”

Up to this point, as Paul reflected on the purpose of his life, he repeatedly used the first person singular pronouns—“I, me, my.”  But, then came this resolution—“Nevertheless to remain in the flesh is more needful for you…for your progress and joy in the faith” (1:24-25).  Paul recognized that truly living for Christ is not all about “I, me, my”!  While those existed, he understood that there were needs outside of “I, me, my” that were more needful!  That’s why, eight verses later, he would challenge: “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself” (2:3).

Eric