How Does it Affect The Body?
“For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again.” (Philippians 1:21–26, ESV)
Turning In On Yourself
In the midst of difficult decisions over the years, I noticed a temptation lurking in the shadows. There’s always a temptation to turn in on yourself and gaze at your navel. Rather than looking outside of ourselves to the needs of others, our vision narrows and we begin only to consider our needs and our priorities and our desires. Yet, to make a Godly decision, we need to look beyond ourselves.
Paul’s Decision
In the last post, I mentioned the important of considering the way feelings/emotions are affecting our decision. In this passage, Paul is desiring one thing, but knows it will turn out a different way. Even though he desires to be in the presence of the Christ he loves, he knows that he will remain alive.
Why is he sure of this? Because it will be better for the Body of Christ. He says, “But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account.” (Phil 1:24). He goes on to say that he will continue working with them “for [their] progress and joy in the faith.” (Phil 1:25). If he doesn’t get what he desires, it will be better for the Body of Christ because the Body of Christ will be built up and will mature in Christ.
How Will It Affect The Body of Christ?
So, that leads to another question we should consider when struggling to make a Godly decision: How will this decision affect the Body of Christ? This is a question that forces us to turn our gaze away from our navel and onto the people around us. It forces us to look away from our aspirations and desires to the needs of the broader church. It also causes us to look much broader than our own local context—beyond our family and friends and local congregation—to the Body of Christ throughout the world AND throughout history. How will this affect the Body of Christ in twenty or thirty years?
Difficult To Answer
As important as this question is, I also realize how difficult it is to answer. We don’t always know how a decision will impact the Body of Christ. God has a way of using unexpected things for His glory. We can’t perfectly calculate out a cost-benefit analysis of every decision. I get it.
However, it’s still important for us to take some time to think through this decision. First, by asking this question, you are forced to look beyond yourself. That’s a good first step to a Godly decision. Second, although we cannot perfectly calculate the effect of a decision, we do have an idea of the impact of a decision. Spend some time thinking through the possible outcomes. Come up with as many outcomes as possible. This will help give you options to pray about and to choose from. Finally, this question forces us to recognize that our decisions impact many people—both now and in the future. These decisions are important. That’s why we want to do our best to make a decision that brings honor and glory to God and builds up His Body.