"What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ..."Philippians 3:8 NIV
"Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ..."Philippians 3:8 NLT
"The very credentials these people are waving around as something special, I’m tearing up and throwing out with the trash—along with everything else I used to take credit for. And why? Because of Christ. Yes, all the things I once thought were so important are gone from my life. Compared to the high privilege of knowing Christ Jesus as my Master, firsthand, everything I once thought I had going for me is insignificant—dog dung. I’ve dumped it all in the trash so that I could embrace Christ and be embraced by him. I didn’t want some petty, inferior brand of righteousness that comes from keeping a list of rules when I could get the robust kind that comes from trusting Christ—God’s righteousness."Philippians 3:7-9 MSG
My Bible is the NIV version but I wanted to read this particular passage in a few different translations because of the strong impact it made on me today. I actually highlighted this passage in my Bible in the past but re-reading it today, the story of the young rich ruler came to mind.
If you're not familiar with it, there is a young rich ruler who approached Jesus and asked Him what he must do to have eternal life. The young man had an impressive life resume but Jesus told him to do one thing that caused him to walk away pensive--Jesus told him to sell everything he had and give it to the poor, and then come and follow Him. (Mark 10:17-27) (Read the story here: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark+10%3A17-27&version=NASB)
I was convicted reading this passage again today thinking do I really count it all as worthless compared to my relationship with Christ? Could I really dismiss it A-L-L?
Essentially this is what Jesus was asking that young rich man to do. To leave it all behind. To let it all go. To place no value on anything else--education credentials, ancestral privileges, wealth, popularity connections--whatever it was that made him feel special. Sell it. Strip yourself of all medals, plaques, titles and crowns. Count it all as garbage compared to simply being with Him.
Not that I think He sees anything wrong with these things as items in and of themselves, but that they became idols in His place. They became our value, our identity, our means of worth. He is left to sit in a space on the side as part of our identity paperwork instead of being the One that makes it all worthwhile.
Do I count it all as loss compared to Him?
He counted Heaven and all His majesty as loss in return for me.
"What is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?" (Psalm 8:4)
I am everything to Him.
Is He really everything to me?
"Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ..."Philippians 3:8 NLT
"The very credentials these people are waving around as something special, I’m tearing up and throwing out with the trash—along with everything else I used to take credit for. And why? Because of Christ. Yes, all the things I once thought were so important are gone from my life. Compared to the high privilege of knowing Christ Jesus as my Master, firsthand, everything I once thought I had going for me is insignificant—dog dung. I’ve dumped it all in the trash so that I could embrace Christ and be embraced by him. I didn’t want some petty, inferior brand of righteousness that comes from keeping a list of rules when I could get the robust kind that comes from trusting Christ—God’s righteousness."Philippians 3:7-9 MSG
My Bible is the NIV version but I wanted to read this particular passage in a few different translations because of the strong impact it made on me today. I actually highlighted this passage in my Bible in the past but re-reading it today, the story of the young rich ruler came to mind.
If you're not familiar with it, there is a young rich ruler who approached Jesus and asked Him what he must do to have eternal life. The young man had an impressive life resume but Jesus told him to do one thing that caused him to walk away pensive--Jesus told him to sell everything he had and give it to the poor, and then come and follow Him. (Mark 10:17-27) (Read the story here: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark+10%3A17-27&version=NASB)
I was convicted reading this passage again today thinking do I really count it all as worthless compared to my relationship with Christ? Could I really dismiss it A-L-L?
Essentially this is what Jesus was asking that young rich man to do. To leave it all behind. To let it all go. To place no value on anything else--education credentials, ancestral privileges, wealth, popularity connections--whatever it was that made him feel special. Sell it. Strip yourself of all medals, plaques, titles and crowns. Count it all as garbage compared to simply being with Him.
Not that I think He sees anything wrong with these things as items in and of themselves, but that they became idols in His place. They became our value, our identity, our means of worth. He is left to sit in a space on the side as part of our identity paperwork instead of being the One that makes it all worthwhile.
Do I count it all as loss compared to Him?
He counted Heaven and all His majesty as loss in return for me.
"What is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?" (Psalm 8:4)
I am everything to Him.
Is He really everything to me?
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