“for i am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come.” [2 timothy 4:6]
paul lays out two key pieces here that i want us to grab on to as he opens up his own living eulogy in the last chapter of his last letter to his beloved disciple and friend, timothy.
right off the bat, we see that paul is steadfast, his heart is resolute and firm in the hope he has in Christ as he faces his death. we can tell just in this first sentence that there’s no wavering or looking back with regret as he faces the end of his life.
but why? why is paul so steadfast and how does he have such a strong outlook on death?
two reasons.
one, paul has laid his entire life down in service to Christ. he opens this verse saying that he is being poured out like a drink offering. drink offerings in the old testament were poured out on the hot altar creating tons of steam and smoke and giving off a pleasant aroma as they evaporated and rose up to heaven.
this is what paul likens his life to as he’s followed Christ, a drink offering that’s being poured out on the altar, going up in smoke for the sole purpose of bringing glory to and pleasing his heavenly father.
oh may we have this same outlook on our own lives! may God give us the grace to see our lives the same way, counted as nothing, but to bring glory to his name and to be a sweet smelling aroma, a pleasing offering in the eyes of Jesus.
second, paul is so steadfast because his hope is set in the hope of the gospel, the hope that we will be united with Christ in our death and raised to life with him when we die.
this is why paul is able to call his death, “the time of my departure,” because he knows that for him and for those who have their hope set fully in Jesus and the gospel, that’s all that death really is! it’s just a departure. we’re simply leaving this earth, to spend eternity with our savior.
it’s with these two things in mind that we’re called to live our lives, lives poured out in service to Jesus, with hearts set fully on the hope of the gospel.
i encourage you to spend time right now, meditating on these two aspects of paul’s life and asking the Holy Spirit to move in your heart in these two ways. first, that he would reveal to you areas in which you’re holding back and not allowing yourself to be poured out in service to Jesus. maybe, those look like areas of selfishness and pride in your own heart. second, that your heart would rest and be still, resting firmly in the hope, the steadfast, solid, unchanging truth of the gospel; that no matter what happens now, in this life, that you will be united with your savior for eternity.
~ josiah bridges