our daily bread

[Dexu Xia]

Every Moment Matters

For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. Philippians 1:21

When I met Ada, she had outlived her entire group of friends and family and was living in a nursing home. “It’s the hardest part of getting old,” she told me, “watching everyone else move on and leave you behind.” One day I asked Ada what kept her interest and how she spent her time. She answered me with a Scripture passage from the apostle Paul (Philippians 1:21): “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” Then she said, “While I’m still around, I have work to do. On my good days, I get to talk to the people here about Jesus; on the hard days, I can still pray.”

Significantly, Paul wrote Philippians while in prison. And he acknowledged a reality many Christians understand as they face their mortality: Even though heaven seems so inviting, the time we have left on Earth matters to God.

Like Paul, Ada recognized that every breath she took was an opportunity to serve and glorify God. So Ada spent her days loving others and introducing them to her Savior. 

Even in our darkest moments, Christians can hold on to the promise of permanent joy in the company of God. And while we live, we enjoy relationship with Him. He fills all our moments with significance.

Lord, grant me the strength to serve You with every breath I take, so that every moment of my remaining days matters to Your Kingdom..

When God comes to call us home, may He find us serving Him.

每一刻都重要

因我活着就是基督，我死了就有益处。-腓立比书1章21节

艾达独自住在安养院里，她的家人和所认识的朋友们都已相继离世。她告诉我说：“年老最难以承受的就是看着每一个人离开，而只有你留下来。”有一天，我问起她的兴趣，以及平时如何安排时间。她用使徒保罗所写的一节经文回答我：“因我活着就是基督，我死了就有益处”（腓立比书1章21节）。她接着说：“只要还活在世上，我就有任务要完成。若我的精神状况还不错，我会与人分享耶稣的福音；若是身体不舒服，我依然可以祷告。”

值得注意的是，腓立比书是保罗在狱中所写的书信。他在信中提到，许多基督徒在面对生命终了时，都应明白一个事实：虽然天国令人期待，我们留在世上的时间，在上帝眼里也很重要。

艾达和保罗一样，深刻体会到只要还活在这世上，就应把握机会服事并荣耀上帝。因此，艾达经常花时间关心身旁的人，引领他们认识她的救主。

即使在最阴暗的时刻，基督徒仍有盼望，因上帝应许我们将永远与祂同在，得着永恒的喜乐。我们活着的时候，能享受与上帝之间亲密的关系，祂让我们生命中的每一刻都充满意义。

主啊，求祢赐我力量，让我每时刻都能服事祢，
好使我人生未来的每一刻，都能扩展祢的国度。

竭力做主工，直到回天家