What do you want to be known for when you die? If you could summarize it in one sentence, what would it be? All of us want to live a life with meaning. How do we go about that? It starts with figuring out what finish line you want to cross. Do you want the success and riches that this world tempts us with or do you want to hear “Well done thy good and faithful servant?
Philippians 1:27
“Just one thing: As citizens of heaven, live your life worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or am absent, I will hear about you that you are standing firm in one spirit, in one accord, contending together for the faith of the gospel,”
Down by the River
Paul is writing this book from prison in Rome to the church in Philippi. He has received their financial gift and is writing back to encourage them. This church was a unique group of people. They started from a small group of women who were meeting down by the river. There wasn’t a synagogue in the city because there weren’t enough people. To build a synagogue, there had to be fifty Jewish men in the congregation. They still needed somewhere to meet so they would often gather near a river. This is where they met Paul.
Live a Life with Meaning
Interestingly, Paul addresses them as citizens of heaven. He does this to remind them that while they lived in Philippi, their final destination was Heaven. If that is the case, then they needed to live in such a way that is worthy of being there. What does that look like? First, it means that we live like the blood of Jesus has redeemed us. Our gratefulness for the forgiveness of our sins should be apparent to those around us. Second, we need to live in unity with each other. There shouldn’t be disagreements that are unresolved or division in the church. Finally, we need to be contending for the faith. That means we are standing for the truth and sharing our faith with others.
No Regrets
We don’t want to come to the end of our life and regret how we lived. Many people spend their whole life striving to accomplish all the things that are deemed successful only to find themselves lonely and their family broken. As Christians, we need to live a life with meaning. Use the Bible as your standard and guide, love other people with abundant grace, and invest in those things which will have eternal benefit.