“My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better.” – {Philippians 1:23}
Paul had said he was caught in between two desires, the “desire” to “depart and be with Christ,” and the desire to remain for the benefit of the believers spiritual growth.-{Philippians 1:24-25}. It is not as though the “Desire” for Christ makes him oblivious to others, but it makes him aware of others need and his desire to help them for Christ’s sake. A Desire for Christ does not isolate a person and cause them to be more selfish, but selfless! His “desire” for Christ was reflected in his desire for the welfare of others to grow in Christ-likeness! How wonderful his heart is revealed for “others,” and this as he was imprisoned! It wasn’t that he desired to “be with Christ” so as to get him out of a difficult situation, suffering unjustly, no, he “desired” to be with the LORD Jesus, because in Paul’s estimation the LORD was desirable! He wanted to “be with Christ,” because Christ was HIS TREASURE, not his “get out of prison card!” Many, many years ago a friend gave me a note that an older lady who he used to collect and drive back and forth from Bible study meetings had in her Bible that he discovered after she had went to be with the LORD. Though it is over 35 years since he shared it with me, I still remember the words of a prayer, this dear lady had written on a piece of paper. She had written, “LORD I come into Your Presence not with a want list, just Yearning to be with You!” Her Desire was… Himself! That’s Love! She didn’t come to Him for what He could do for her but because of Who He was! For Paul, life was Christ, “For me to live is Christ…”-{Phil 1:21}. For Paul death was “far better,” because he would get to “…be With Christ.” -{Phil 1:23}. Whether in life or death his Desire, Yearning, was Christ. It was not Christ plus something else, it was simply, Christ Himself! Christ his Desire, Christ his Treasure, Christ his Pursuit, Christ his Delight, Christ his Destination, Christ the Devotion of his heart, Christ Himself, Enough!
Jesus put it this way…
“Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.”-{Matthew 6;21 NLT}