Dose of Hope: Philippians 1:21 “For to live is Christ and to die is gain”

When I was thinking about a verse to share this week, Philippians 1:21 came to mind. The NIV version says, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” The New Living Translation makes it a little clearer:

For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better. – Philippians 1:21 (NLT)

It’s a verse that caused me a lot of confusion over the years, but the longer I know it the more it makes sense. We live because God loves us and we live to bring Him glory. And someday we’ll enter into eternity with Him and that’s even better. If we’re picking a memory verse, what better verse to remember we’re completely free because of His love?

Chip Ingram says it this way in The Invisible War:

I realized the worst that could ever happen to me would end in glory… Our hope is not in finances, in people, in circumstances, or in all our desires coming through for us. Our hope is in the person of Christ… That’s what salvation is ultimately about, and it will keep you sane and at peace.

I created this graphic using watercolor brushes from Happy Hands Project and a new font. I hope you like it.