Philippians 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 Christ Jesus as my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish in order that I may gain Christ.”
Paul is speaking here of the transformation that occurred in his life on the Damascus road. As he reflects on that experience he now understands that all he accomplished before then was rubbish and exhibited confidence in the flesh. Now his confidence is in Christ alone.
I am particularly impressed by the phrase “surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus as my Lord”. The privilege of knowing Christ Jesus as his Savior and Lord is the greatest thing he has ever experienced. In fact, it so far surpasses everything else that all other accomplishments are considered rubbish.
From all we know of Paul he maintained the freshness of that experience throughout his life. Although he went through many trials and testings he never seemed to become discouraged and I’m convinced it was because he kept his heart centered on the person of Christ. It is easy to let the busyness and temptations of the day drag us down and discourage us. Satan makes every attempt to minimize or impair the Christian’s relationship to Christ. He delights in helping us get caught up in the things of the world.
As we grow spiritually the material things of the world become less important to us. Our earthly accomplishments become secondary to our spiritual growth and our walk with Christ. The activities and events that cause us to grow spiritually become more important than any of the worldly things in which we are involved.
I encourage you to meditate on the impact of that phrase in your life.
