“My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better.” (Philippians 1:23)
Paul wasn’t afraid of death. For him, dying in Christ wasn’t losing. It was getting closer. When we say “to live is Christ and to die is gain,” we’re not just reciting a nice verse. We’re declaring that the person we’ve lost (if they died in Christ) is more alive now than we are sitting here. Their body is sleeping, waiting for resurrection. But they, the person you knew and loved, are with Jesus right now. Not unconscious. Not waiting in some holding area. With him.
This truth should change how we stand at funerals and how we think about eternity. Heaven isn’t primarily about gold streets or the absence of problems. It’s about being with Jesus. Every good thing you’ve ever loved, every moment you wished would last, every feeling of belonging, it was all rehearsal. One day you’ll arrive, not by understanding everything, but by seeing him. And the people you’ve loved and lost in Christ? They’re already there. They didn’t miss anything. They’re actually ahead of you in line.
Reflect:
- How does viewing death as “getting closer to Christ” change your perspective on loss?
- What would it look like to live today with the reality that heaven is about being with Jesus, not just escaping problems?
- Ask God to help you long for his presence more than anything else, and to find comfort knowing your loved ones are already with him.
