To Live is Christ

On this Memorial Day, I would like to pay tribute to my longtime childhood friend, Michael Goins, who lost his life in August 2004. The following is something I wrote shortly after.

Focal Passage: "For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain." Philippians 1:21 (NIV)
Background Passage: Philippians 1:20-26

When your country is at war, your whole view of life changes. Suddenly life isn't all about what you do for a living, how much money you make, or your path to achieving the "American Dream." Even the mindset of the growing Christian changes somewhat. This is especially true when people close to you are fighting the war and even dying in the war. Sometimes your faith in God is challenged. And hopefully, these challenges will spur a deeper knowledge of God and his purpose for life.

In August of last year I lost one of my best childhood friends to the war. The common question, "Why, God?" wasn't absent from my prayers. Michael was a growing Christian, a light to all around him. A second lieutenant, he prayed for his troops and shared his faith when the opportunity arose. Why God chose to take this beacon of light home still doesn't quite register for me, but I've come to trust in God's sovereignty and be at peace with it.

Last month, a co-worker of mine, Eric, whom I've grown close to as well, stepped foot in Iraq for his tour of duty. I communicate with him often and pray for him daily.

One day I was praying for Eric's and his troops' protection, and I realized that I was praying the same prayer I prayed for Michael. The irony disturbed me somewhat. Then a verse came to mind that I had heard since childhood: "To live is Christ and to die is gain." (Phil. 1:21) I've never fully understood that verse. The strict grammar person that I am, I've always found the wording of it quite odd. Then I decided that God brought that verse to mind for a reason and I needed to research it more thoroughly. I looked up the verse online in 19 different versions, and it's funny because only a handful of those versions had any different verbiage for that verse. However, I found one that I felt truly conveyed the intentions of Paul in writing that verse: "Alive, I'm Christ's messenger; dead, I'm his bounty. Life versus even more life! I can't lose." (The Message) What a joyous verse! This version opened my eyes to a verse I've heard since I was young.

Our true home is in heaven with Christ. So to die truly is gain. But for the time that God leaves us here on earth, we have a mission to accomplish. A mission to love and glorify God. A mission to share Christ with others. A mission to be the light of Christ to all around us. And when we go to be with Christ, we will hear him say, like I know Michael did, "Well done, my good and faithful servant."

(Eric returned home after 12 months in Iraq. Shortly after his return, he was promoted to Captain. He and his wife Karla welcomed a their first child, a baby boy, in January. Eric continues to work with me, and he is still active in the Army Reserves.)