October 6, 2016

Philippians 3:7 NKJV - "But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ."

When you want your life to count most for God and His cause, what matters most to God should matter most to you.

Paul knew he had a first class pedigree!  He was a Hebrew of the Hebrews, a descendant of Benjamin, He had been a strict Pharisee, and he could boast about his zeal for God in his persecution of Christians.  He had achieved a lot of "success" in the eyes of the world.  He had an education, a Roman citizenship that he received at birth, and a good standing among the Jewish people. 

What should Paul do with all these achievements and accomplishments?  His answer:  Treat them as trash!  Verse 8 goes on to say, "Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ."  Count them but as worthless as rubbish.  His reasoning?  These things he thought were important were unimpressive to the God he wanted to know.  And, these things were actually a hindrance to him to really know God.  Therefore, he simply compared his achievements to a relationship with the Son of God, and the decision was clear:  count these achievements as worthless compared to enjoying Jesus!

How does this relate to us today?  What's more important to you?  If you can pursue a brilliant education and seek a healthy lifestyle and be involved in a good productive work place, and still grow in your relationship with the Lord, go ahead, but don't let the education, health, and work ever have first place in your life! 

On the other hand, if your education, health, and employment lead to a life patterned after this world's self-centered lifestyle with no room for Christ, then you're living an ultimately worthless life.  And what do you end up doing with worthless things?  You throw them out.  Well, don't wait until the end of your life to do so.  Now's the time to set the priority of knowing Christ and enjoying fellowship with Him and being involved in His work.  Remember, Christ gives abundant life which none of these others things can do.  Christ give riches no amount of money could compare to.  Christ gives a fulfillment of accomplishment with eternal results.  No job on earth can do that!  With Christ as your Master, all you do for Him won't be "left behind" when you go to heaven.  You'll have already sent it on ahead!

"Only one life 'twill soon be past; only what's done for Christ will last." Live for Eternal Results.