Surpassing Worth.

Philippians 3:8

“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.”

I truly love this verse. “The surpassing worth of Knowing... Jesus.” This is what stands out to me most. This is indeed what our lives are all about. We were created in the image of God, to be in relationship with God. Nothing more terrible could have happened than when sin entered our hearts and the world. Nothing could have broken and blinded us more. Nothing could have been more tragic. Nothing could have been worse. God made something so beautiful and so good, perfect relationship with Him. He made His masterpiece of creation and gave it to us, He walked and talked with us. Then like a painting by an amazing artist being torn, sin entered. Our hearts were torn from His. God is life, without Him there is only death, and that's what we chose in the garden of Eden. But the story does not end there.

God chose us again, He mended the torn painting, by letting His son be torn, bloodied, beaten, and killed. But can death undo that which is life? Jesus being one with God was life, and having no sin in Himself was perfect and Holy so that death had no claim on Him. So He died and rose again that we might know Him. It is the surpassing worth, worth that surpasses the value of everything else, so much so that everything else compared to knowing Him is like poop. “My Lord.” The way Paul says this is wonderful, it is so personal and intimate. Yes He is our Lord, but He is also my Lord.

Paul suffered, he really did. He suffered losing home, friends, respect from peers, and I am sure he gained a lot of aching bones from the times he had been beaten, shipwrecked etc. However all the respect that came from being a pharisee, the comfort, the food etc, all of it was vanity, empty, pointless compared to a life, or rather the truth life of being in communion with God.

I recounted last night at chapel how I had picked some things back up that I had laid down at the beginning of ignite, and how I wanted to press on to the goal. How I want to lay those things down again. Why? Because as I picked them back up I found myself becoming more and more disconnected from God. This is the goal I press onto, deeper relationship with God. Because nothing can surpass, nothing can come close to what it's like to know Jesus and walk in fellowship with Him. I have not yet suffered deeply, but if I do and I have Christ beside me it will be worth it.

Application.

Let go of rubbish.

How?

Tonight I will ask God to show me what I need to let go of still.