Day 58: Philippians 1:20

“as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death.”



The Christian’s task is simple. We honor and serve Christ with every breath.


As Paul wrote this passage, he was lingering in a Roman jail. He wrote about the idea that by either his life or his death he would serve Christ.


As Christian leaders, we need to hear what he’s saying. Not that we want to die, but we have to put ourselves in a place that either way, we are serving Christ. Paul’s death, which would probably be at the hands of the Roman government, would be while sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. His life, on the other hand, would be lived out serving churches and sharing the gospel among the nations.


Either way, his life advanced the Kingdom of God.


It’s because Paul’s footing in life that he can say that his expectation and hope are that he will not be ashamed. Either way he goes, Christ is honored and served.


Paul learned something that we need to learn: There are things worse than death. Lots of them. Paul’s next words were “To live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Christian leaders have to learn this principle.


Many of us live so comfortably that I’m afraid at the end we will be ashamed for not having taken any chances and not advancing the Kingdom of God when we could have, even at the expense of our lives.


How is your footing in life? Can you honestly say that today, no matter if you lived or died, you would be serving Christ?


Most of us probably can’t. But we should be able to.


Take a careful look at your life. Can you approach it like Paul did: with the expectation and hope that after your last breath, you won’t be ashamed of your conduct while you did breath?


CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLE: Our entire life should be honoring to Christ. We should serve Him in both our life and with our death.


Here’s a set of verses to meditate on Today: Acts: 7:54-60


Prayer: Father, guide me and show me your ways. Show me where I don’t honor or serve you, and forgive me. Show me how my life and death can honor and serve you. In Christ’s name, amen.