Vanity Plates

Do you have a personalized license plate? If you do, what does it say? Chances are it say's something about who you are or what you love.

Imagine if they had personalized license plates in the first century. If they did, what do you think the apostle Paul's would say? Well I don’t think it would say anything about his position as an apostle, nor do I think it would say anything about him being the first missionary. Instead I think it would say something like. . .“4me2live.” That’s because of what he said in Philippians 1:21, “for me to live is Christ and to die is gain." This was more or less his life’s motto or purpose as well as the secret to his joy.

What are you living for? Well if it is anything other than Jesus then to die is not gain but loss.

• "For me to live is money, and to die is to leave it all behind."
• "For me to live is fame, and to die is to be forgotten."
• "For me to live is power, and to die is to lose it all."
• "For me to live is possessions, and to die is to take none of them with me."

The apostle Paul on the other hand made Jesus his focus. That allowed him to have joy whether he lived or died, because dying only brought him more of what he loved, Jesus (John 14:3).