To Live is Christ, to Die is Gain, Philippians 1:21-26

²¹For to me, to live is Christ, to die is gain. ²²If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! ²³I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; ²⁴but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. ²⁵Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for the progress and joy in the faith, ²⁶so that through my being with you again your joy in Christ Jesus will overflow on account of me.

     What is life if not living for Christ? What is death but an usher into the very presence of our Lord and Savior? We need to constantly, consciously be aware that our lives are not about living for material riches or for physical pleasures, but about bringing glory to the name of Jesus Christ.
     When we concentrate our efforts on the spiritual, on Jesus' sacrifice for us and His love for us, we can live a life that is more detatched from the temporal cares of this world. This is not to say that we will become careless; rather, that our priorities will be aligned with God's priorities, and therefore we will not take heart and become discouraged or depressed when things don't quite go our way.

     I have found in my own walk with the Lord that the more I focus on myself and the more I push for what I want done (whether it be something I'm doing "for God" or something I'm doing for myself), that the unhappier and more unsatisfied with life I become. On the other hand, when I focus my energies on the Lord's will, His plan, worshiping Him and doing that which He has called me to do, the happier and more content I become, despite my circumstances and situations.
     This great joy that floods our souls, this joy that knows no circumstance too sorrowful to drown it out, comes when, like Paul, we decide in our hearts, "to live is Christ, to die is gain".

     Because we have been created for His good pleasure (Revelation 4:11, KJV), our purpose in life is to please Him. And what is it that pleases God? Our hearts, given over to Him in love and devotion, please God. He does not delight in sacrifice, but in a "broken spirit and contrite heart" (Psalm 51:15-17).
     A broken spirit is one that has been cleansed of pride and arrogance, one that realizes that its own way is not the best, and has submitted to God's authority. A contrite heart is one that is aware of its own sinful state (Jeremiah 17:9) and is humbled before the Lord, seeking mercy, grace, and forgiveness. A contrite heart understands that unless the Lord bestows mercy upon it, there is no way out, for it has broken the laws of God and deserves nothing but death.
     Because our hearts are sinful, Jesus, who is God in the flesh, came to the earth and made the ultimate sacrifice: He died on the cross, paying the penalties for our sinfulness, so that we would not have to die and be cast from His presence. John 3:16 says, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life." The penalty of (even one) sin is death, but because God could not bear to live without us, He chose to die for us. He paid the debt we owed, because we owed a debt we could not pay.

     When would dying be beneficial to us? When we have come to the realization that our sins have been forgiven and we, by faith in Christ, have been given life everlasting! This life on earth is but a short part of our life as a whole, because we are headed for life everlasting!
     When we take our last breath on earth, we will take our first breath in heaven. Physical death is just that: physical. Our souls, our minds, our spirits will not die, only our physical bodies will. From dust they came, and to dust they will return.
     So what have we to fear in death, if it only is the doorway that leads us from this physical, temporal life of pain and suffering into a glorious, eternal life of peace and joy? When you love the Lord, you will want to be with Him. Death only ushers us into the presence of God. We need not fear, but rejoice that we will be freed from this sinful world and all its trials. There will never be another temptation, trial, pain, or sorrow! Revelation 21:3-5 tells us,

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" Then he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true."