Better Than Life Itself

     "Because Your love is better than life, my lips will glorify You. I will praise You as long as I live, and in Your name I will lift up my hands." (Psalm 63:3-4)
     We open our service each week with a time of praise and worship, featuring mostly choruses and worship songs with an occasional hymn. We do sing other hymns later in the service. We are trying to add new songs and draw from newer sources, like Chris Tomlin, Michael W. Smith, Twila Paris, Paul Baloche, and Keith Getty, but we also have some "oldies." One Scripture song from the 70's that we do is "Thy Loving Kindness" (not sure why 70's Scripture songs were all writtren in King James, but...
     "Thy loving kindness is better than life, Thy loving kindness is better than life,
     My lips shall praise Thee, thus shall I bless Thee,
     I will lift up my hands unto Thy name."
     Now do we really think the words through on this? Of course, we can sing any Christian song, new or old, mindlessly. But let's give this one some thought, because it is taken right out of Psalm 63. Remember, David is singing about seeking and thirsting for the Lord. In the next verse we will look at, he will talk about being satisfied in Him. And, as we have seen, that satisfaction will lead to greater hunger and thirst for God. But to be satisfied in God while also increasing in hunger for God, we need to think through what it means to say that God's love for us in Christ is better than life itself.
     To the early Christians, and martyrs throughout the ages, including those who will die for Christ around the world this very day, before I finish this post, the meaning is clear. Even if I am called to give up my life for the sake of the Gospel, I will treasure His love for me nonetheless. The Apostle Paul certainly understood this when he wrote, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain." (Philippians 1:21, NIV). The God's Word translation puts it this way: "Christ means everything to me in this life, and when I die, I'll have even more."
     But what about the rest of us, who are not in danger of death by persecution? How do we apply these words of David? We think of the words of our Lord in Mark 8:35: "For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it." Surely, He is not talking only about physical death. He speaks even plainer in other places, calling us to put Him before our most prized possessions and our dearest human relationships.
     To be very practical, let's say it this way:
     Do we want God more than our family?
     Do we want God more than our health?
     Do we want God more than food?
     Do we want God more than friendship?
     Do we want God more than sexual relations?
     Do we want God more than satisfaction with our job?
     Do we want God more than personal ahievement?
     Do we want God more than good books?
     Do we want God more than computers?
     Do we want God more than our homes?
     Do we want God more than beautiful sunsets?
     Do we want God more than autumn colors?
     Do we want God more than heaven?
     John Piper says that when David proclaims that the love of God is better than life, he is saying that the love of God is better than all the joys that life can bring. So let's not settle for the gifts without yearning for the Giver. Feeling convicted? Yeah, me, too.
     "And Christ is the head of the body, the church; He is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead so that in everything He might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him. ... In Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." (Colossians 1:18-19, 2:3, NIV) So let's lose ourselves for Him like this is true.