As a year passes into the history books and another new year begins, one of the news items that catches my attention is the list of famous people who died in the previous year. Magazines such as World Magazine report such lists of people who passed away in the previous year. They listed their names under the headline: Departures. It included people who made some sort of impact on our world, and now they are no longer with us.

As I turn my thoughts to the Scriptures, and think about the individual (other than Jesus Christ) who made a significant impact in the world, I think of Paul. He is a man who knew what it was like to live life to the fullest with the clear understanding of why God had placed him here on the earth. And he also knew what it was like to live to the fullest while clearly understanding that one day he would leave this world.

From our study of Philippians 1:21-24, we discover what it means to be Living Like We’re Leaving.