A Single Passion

"According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed. but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death. For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain."
Philippians 1:20-21

The Apostle Paul's single passion in life is found in these two verses. If Christ is not made much of in our lives, they are wasted. We exist to make Him appear in the world as what He really is -- magnificent. If our life and death do not show the worth and wonder of Jesus, they are wasted. This is why Paul said that his aim in life and death was "that...Christ...be magnified." Notice the unusual way he makes this clear in verse 20: "According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed...". Shame is that horrible feeling of guilt or failure when you don't measure up before people whose approval you want very much. What you love determines what you feel shame about. If you love for men to make much of you, you will feel shame when they don't. But if you love for men to make much of Christ, they you will feel shame if He is belittled on your account.

Paul loved Christ more than anything or anyone. "But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord...".

Whenever something is of tremendous value to you, and you cherish its beauty or power or uniqueness, you want to draw others' attention to it and waken in them the same joy. That is why Paul's all-consuming goal in life was for Christ to be magnified. Christ was of infinite value to Paul, and so Paul longed for others to see and savor this value. That is what it means to magnify Christ- to show the magnitude of His value.

-John Piper