“For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not. For I am in a strait between two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: Netherless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you.” Philippians 1:21-26

The world is so lost that it thought it had won by taking the life of a young man, not knowing that to die is gain for a Christian, and that this life is where we suffer the most. They do not know that for the world, the opposite is true: this life is the best time they will ever have in eternity.

I have always had this question in my mind ever since I found God: what shall I do now for the rest of my life, having all the answers about life at a young age?

Then this verse was revealed to me: indeed, to be with Christ is far better, but to abide in the flesh is more needful for all those whom God loves but who know Him not.

There will be many tears and sorrows abiding in the flesh, but because our hope is not in the flesh nor in this world, they have no place in us and no power over us.

We most often forget the basic, pure, and fundamental principle of being a Christian: that this life and this vessel should never bother us, because we have known the truth and have come out of darkness. Circumstances change, people come and go, but as long as you have God and keep your faith intact and your lamp burning—filled with oil—you’ve lost nothing.

But if you’ve turned away from God and are drained of faith, whatever you’ve gained in this world—even as much as a billion—is merely nine zeros without the One.