The Day of Christ
2:16b so that in the day of Christ I will have reason to glory because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain.
There are several things to note in this surprising statement of Paul.
For today, notice that the day of Christ was an integral part of Paul’s thinking about his life and ministry. He lived every day in the mindset that what happened on the day of Christ was more important than anything in the world, and that every minute of this life is to be spent in preparation for that day.
"Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth." (Col.3:1-2)
This is not the case for many modern American Christians. I know it has been an issue in my life. A number of years ago, God showed me that heaven was a part of my theology but not a part of my daily thought process. The Bible tells us over and over again it should dominate our thinking. The problem is many of us have not yet given up on this world. We still have a lot of ambitions and desires we would like to fulfill. We still lust for praise and love and pleasures and things. We have not come to the point where we say, "This world has nothing for me." And so heaven remains merely a part of our theology.
It is through suffering that this world proves its emptiness to us. Suffering will either move us to despair or to base our hope on a better world to come.
Suffering comes to everyone. It is a blessing of God with many benefits, not the least of which is it exposes the world for what it is, it proves all of its promises are false. And once we see that, we are freed from the shackles of worldliness, and can begin to place our hope in something unshakable and far grander.
O Lord, thank You that there is a day coming when all truth will be vindicated and lies exposed. Surely even though this earth shall pass away, You are a rock which cannot be moved. But I need Your help today, Lord. Even though this world is fallen and cursed, I am still prone to place my security in it. I put security in my health, in my job, in finances, in my family, in my country, in my friendships, in my church. And yet I know I am trusting in things not worthy of trust, things which are fleeting. Please wean me away from this world. Please train me to do all I do for the sake of Your great day. Please help to me to embrace suffering as Your tool in my life for good.