We all understand that the end of our lives will come someday. That ending is expected with the arrival of old age, but some endings may come unexpectedly, either by accident or disease.

How we process the reality of the statement, “We are all going to die,” will dictate how we choose to live our lives. If our lives have been reduced to a never-ending scramble to gain more perishable things, secure more accomplishments, or gain more of anything, we will not live a life of peace. The constant scrambling will rob us of true peace, a peace that only Jesus can provide.

Paul said, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21). There is a backstory to Paul’s profound statement. Before making that statement, Paul said about living this life, “I fully expect and hope that I will never be ashamed, but that I will continue to be bold for Christ, as I have been in the past. And I trust that my life will bring honor to Christ, whether I live or die” (vs. 20).

Paul went on to say, “I am torn between two desires: I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me. But for your sakes, it is better that I continue to live” (vs.23-24).

All that Paul wrote about defines a life without the hurriedness and the daily rush to accomplish what the world defines as success- a success that is motivated by wrong motives. Paul is defining a life that will produce rest and trust in the Lord.

Only the Lord knows the length of our days or how we will depart this life. We can trust Him with the end of our lives because we understand that a special grace will come to us when it’s our time to leave this world.

The key to our Kingdom success in this life will be revealed when we have rightly answered this one question: “Is my life bringing honor to God while I am still living?” If the lives we are pursuing do not bring honor to the Lord, it’s not worth pursuing.