Phil. 3:7-11
But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith-- that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.
Paul had a powerful pedigree in Jewish circles, and I am sure that with that education and social status came much wealth as well. Yet, those things were insignificant to Him in comparison to Christ. He willingly traded in the esteem of men for a humble ministry, a position of power for servant hood, established religion for the Way, an comfortable home for a tent, a normal lifestyle for a wandering journey, and the power to persecute for becoming the persecuted. To the natural, fleshly man, these choices make no sense. But Paul had had an encounter with Jesus, and from that point on, he wanted only to know Him, His resurrection power, His sufferings, and His death. His life was drastically changed! His zeal to kill Christians was transformed into a zeal for others to become Christians. How has my life changed? Is is drastic? Am I counting all that I have in the world as loss or do I value possessions and position?
Father,
Teach me to count this world and all that it offers as loss. Help me to be zealous for You.
In Jesus name,
Amen
No comments:
Post a Comment