Should I Stay or Should I Go?

In 1981 a band called "The Clash" performed a song they wrote called "Should I Stay or Should I Go?" A midst the chorus you find the lines "if I go there will be trouble, but if I stay it will be double, so come on and let me know, should I stay or should I go?" In this song which I have heard many times in the past it seems this individual is in a lose lose situation. He has a hard decision to make about whether to leave or stay  put, but either way it's not going to turn out for his well-being. When you are put in a situation where whatever choice you make is going to be bad, it is not a pleasant decision to make.
On the flip side of that, imagine what it would be like to have to make a decision between two good choices. In Philippians chapter one we see a difficult decision he is faced with, which is actually not up to him, but he is clear if he had to make the decision it would be very hard. Paul had already brought up the issue of his life and death, so we see a follow up to that discussion in Phil. 1:21-26 which says:
"For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to live in flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again."
We will determine from a study of this text that Paul was having a really hard time as he reflects on what his ultimate desire would be verses what would be better for the church at Philippi. Let us examine his question, should I stay or should I go?
Let us first notice that Paul had an unusual dilemma.
He viewed both life and death as positive for him. He said "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain" (Phil. 1:21). We could observe that Paul had a powerful perspective of life and death that allowed him to make that statement. He knew that in his life he could bring Christ glory, but he also knew that in his death he would experience the glory of Christ. He was a man who was not afraid of death. How many of us can say that? I have heard many older people in the church make similar statements saying they are ready to depart from this life.
Paul knew this was a win win situation for the Lord. If he did remain alive, then he would continue to be fruitful. As a Christian, the Lord expects us to bear fruit. Jesus discusses this in John 15 with the expectation that we as his followers must bear fruit. Those which do not bear fruit are gathered up and burned in the fire. We know this is a reference to Hell, so this inspires us to bear fruit for Him. Paul describes the fruit of the Spirit in Gal. 5:22-23. Paul is a great example to us of how to be fruitful for the Master until our life is over or Jesus comes back first.
Though it was a win win situation as described by Paul, this was a very difficult decision for him. Well, in reality it wasn't a decision by him, because he didn't have any control over it. He is stating it in such a way that if he had to choose, he is telling them it would be very hard. He makes the statement that he is "hard pressed between the two" (Phil. 1:23). One of the definitions of this phrase is one farmers would be familiar with: it was used "of a cattle squeeze, that pushing in on each side, forcing the beast into a position where it cannot move so the farmer can administer medication" (http://www.biblestudytools.com/lexicons/greek/nas/sunecho.html).When Paul makes this statement about the two possibilities, he is saying he is hemmed in, or being pressured from both sides (http://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/robertsons-word-pictures/philippians/philippians-1-23.html).
In the midst of this dilemma, Paul discussed the positives of the possibilities. If you had a dilemma that would would turn out positive regardless of which decision you made, which way would you choose? We ought to remind ourselves that there are some serious matters we ought to consider. Paul did have a extraordinary view of death, but he also displayed a positive outlook on life from a spiritual perspective. He didn't say if I remain I can go hunting some more or go to the lake or watch some more sports. He was going to use the remainder of his life being fruitful for the Lord. We should take a page out of Paul's book when it comes to how we view life.
We should also notice that Paul expresses his ultimate desire.
He says "My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better" (Phil. 1:23). His ultimate desire was to die so he could be with Christ. When he says that it would be better, he is talking about for himself. Why would it be better? You mean being executed in prison is better than being released from prison? That is the attitude Paul had when he was in the situation. Paul could face the force of the executioner's ax knowing that would free him from this life to go on to the next. 
The concept conveyed in the word depart is seen in the phrases weighing anchor or loosening threads (http://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/robertsons-word-pictures/philippians/philippians-1-23.html). There is a similar phrase used in 2 Cor. 5:1ff. which Paul uses to describe death as a tearing down of our tent. He goes on to say that "we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord" (2 Cor. 5:8). To Paul death was simply the transition where he would leave this life to go on to the next. 
When we stop and consider the ultimate desire of Paul, let us reflect on something that could have been on his mind when writing this letter. Paul wrote about a man who had a very interesting experience by taking a field trip to a heavenly  realm. 2 Cor. 12:2-4 says: "I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven - whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows. And I know that this man was caught up into paradise - whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows - and he heard things that cannot be told, which man may not utter." The view is widely held that Paul is describing himself. If indeed it is Paul, the time frame could be traced fourteen years from the writing of the second Corinthian letter (57 A.D.) which takes us back to 43 A.D., probably at the time that Paul was stoned in Lystra and left for dead (Acts 14:19ff). If this is truly the case, what vivid colors it adds to the picture that Paul is painting when he says that his desire of going to be with Christ would be far better!
Can you say you desire death like Paul? I am confident there are many people who don't have this positive view of death as he does, but we should. We are all transient beings here on this earth for a short time. As we sing the song "This World Is Not My Home" we realize this is not our permanent destination. You might have had a family member who is a faithful member of the Lord's body say they don't want to go on living. They are simply expressing their desire that they long to be with the Lord. Let us all be able to express this as our ultimate desire.
A final observation from this text is that Paul makes an unselfish decision.
I saw a commercial several years ago where a brother and sister wanted a cookie but there was only one left. The older sister opted to let the younger brother eat it. All of a sudden one of the Keebler elves put another cookie back where the package had been empty, rewarding her for unselfish behavior. There are lots of opportunities for us to do something better for someone else, but we're not talking about sharing cookies.
Even though it would be better for him to depart and be with Christ, Paul knew it would be better for the Philippians if he remained in the flesh. Though we have already said that it was not his decision to make either way, you can still see his unselfish attitude in wanting what's best for them. We see him give two reasons why this would be more necessary for them. First, it would be better for their progress. This word for progress was originally used of a pioneer cutting his way through brush (Vine's 468). He wants to see them continue their progress in Christ, and Paul's presence on earth would allow him to help them with their spiritual development. Second, it would be better for their joy in the faith. It seems that this is tied to their personal feelings for him. It would leave a rather large void if Paul was not around to aid them spiritually. That's not to say that Paul was the only way they could progress and rejoice. It seems from the text that this would give them an extra measure of these qualities.This would give them cause to glory in Christ when he returned to them in person. He didn't just want to see them and enjoy their company; he wanted to help them be better than they already were.
Have you ever made a decision where you had a choice to do something better for you or do something better for another person? The type of love that is so prevalent in the New Testament is agape. It is love that shows us putting the interests of others ahead of our own interests. God demonstrated this by giving us His Son as a sacrifice for the sins of the world. John 3:16 says "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." Christ demonstrated this by giving himself for the church (Eph. 5:25) and husbands are to love their wives in the same way according to this verse.
When Paul is faced with this problem in Philippians chapter one, it was a good problem to have; that's why we called it a win win situation. Whether or not he should stay or go was an issue he faced from a heavenly perspective. Paul had an unusual dilemma of whether to stay or go, and he expressed his ultimate desire of wanting to be with Christ though he states to the Philippians his unselfish decision was to remain with them in the flesh. Paul recognized that it was best for him to put the church's spiritual development before his desire. Earlier when Paul said "I thank my God in all my remembrance of you...", we can see how precious a people they were to him for him to make such an unselfish statement to them. God help us to be more like that in our lives!