As Christians, we have ultimate purpose. We have reason to wake up each morning. In joy, we serve our Creator. Paul puts it plainly in Philippians 1:20-26.
To live is Christ and to die is gain. This is a verse to live by and so much can be said from it.
Specifically, Paul explains that to live is to serve Christ and be one with Him. On the other hand, to die is to actually be with Christ, which is obviously the more desired. However, it is not edifying for those still on earth. If Paul had the choice, he would not know which to pick. He would be torn between the two, not because one is his home and another is not, but because one is serving the Creator while the other is enjoying Him.
So what does this say for the saints?
It is a daily reminder that for one, our final home is not in this world. Our sole purpose here is service to God and we should take great joy in this until we are taken to be with Him, which will be greater than anything to gain here.
It also should make us realize that this life is a gift and is fleeting, but we should not lose heart. If it is threatened by the Enemy, we shall not fear because to die is gain! Death from our sinful flesh to be with our Lord should be one of our greatest desires. It should shape how we live here, not storing up treasures or latching onto earthly, temporal things. In addition, we should not mourn the death of those who already have lived for Christ too long because they have gained!
On the other hand, anything can be abused and the desire to leave a world full of sin is no exception. While wanting to leave is a great desire to have, Paul's point is that living here in service to our LORD is just as well as leaving to be with Him. While we are still here, we must remember to use our time for service to Him who put us here until He is ready to take us away. Our time here is made complete when He decides, not when we decide. Just because you feel you have no more to give does not mean anything. If you are still here in the world, know that God is not yet finished and still desires to use you to His ultimate glory.
The unbeliever lives for sin and selfishness. He fears death because his own glorification is at an end. We need to be able to see this perspective to be a light of Christ, but we should not have this perspective for ourselves. Fear is not of God and neither is service of oneself. To live is Christ: to be one with Him in the sense that our old life is gone and we are a new creation that can please and serve Him, which is exponentially more fulfilling then trying to find our own happiness.
And here are two of my favorite quotes from one of my characters of all time, Peter Pan:
