Phillipians 3:7-8 “But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Chris Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ…”
What is it that we value in life? What is it that so many people are taught? What is it that we run after, that we use our entire life trying to obtain?
Growing up in this society, going to high school (home-schooled up until then), some of the biggest things in life to obtain are wealth, a good career, fame if possible. It’s sad to say, many are taught that if they don’t go to college or pursue a higher form of education than a high school degree, they just won’t amount to much. After all, the highest paid careers are the product of years and years of schooling. And of course a lie is that true happiness is found in money, wealth…Not to mention with fame comes the mass of wealth and that is one heck of a career. You see it everywhere. You’ll see people run themselves into the ground to get a good career, spend almost half of their life (some, more than half) to get that title or that amazing paying job, but what is it for?! Understand that I have nothing against college, nothing against wealth, nothing against fame, but what I do stand against is the idol that is made out of these things. These things become the goal of our life, and what do we have in the end? When we’re nearing our last breath, we look back at our life and wonder “what was it for?” The real question should be this – “Who is it for?” Take this passage from Phillipians 3 and ask yourself that question.
If you read verses 4-6, you’ll see Paul giving an account of who he was, what he had attained in life before Christ. He explains he was the top notch, he was found blameless in the law, he was the MAN, but according to whom? When he found Christ, an extraordinary change took place – Everything he once considered valuable, everything he ran after, the very things that he spent his life trying to attain, trying to become, he said it was rubbish when he started to know Christ! One translation which I truly enjoy, says he counted it as dung…That’s yummy. But seriously, think about it. The man himself now considered everything he had gained a heaping pile of dung compared to knowing Christ and being found in Him. If that doesn’t tell you something about the goodness of God, I don’t know what does.
So what is it that we value in this life? What is it that we are running after? Are we pursuing worldly, empty things, or are we pursuing the One Who created all things, the One who freely gives you ALL GOOD THINGS (Yes, it’s scriptural). He wants you to have these things, the wealth, the career, the success, but He wants to be the desire of your heart, and the only true happiness comes from knowing Him more and more. He is what’s valuable, the most valuable, and even that is a word that falls short of describing Him.
Don’t waste your life away trying to obtain things and leaving God on the side. God considers you very valuable as well as your life. Get to know Him more and more, and don’t stop – True value is found in knowing Him.
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