We are confident . . . and willing rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.
We are confident (have courage). Paul is saying that in the face of death we have courage and are willing to die, because it has no sting (our sins are forgiven) and we would immediately be in the wondrous presence of the Lord. We would leave our body of pain to be with our Lord in paradise. That would be “far better,” the Bible says. This is an amazing and wonderful scripture when we stop and think how many are terrified about death. “Thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory.”