Seek To Know Him: Philippians 3:8‐14

 A long time ago, I saw a statement that reads: “Addiction is giving up everything for one thing; Recovery is giving up that one thing for everything”. This statement took root in my life and helped me with a lot of my decision-making processes. Every decision we make in life will produce benefits or consequences. Thus, before we make decisions we must weigh the cost with the benefits. In Philippians 3:7-14, the Apostle Paul spoke on this same principle as it relates to his life in Christ. Let's focus a bit on verses 7-8, where Paul said:  “What things were gain to me, those I counted as loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ.”

The Apostle Paul discovered the benefits of giving up everything to gain Christ. He esteemed knowing Christ more valuable that everything else he had achieved in his life. We too must prioritize what's “Most Important” over what's “Important”. If Paul were alive today, we could agree he would have had highly decorated degrees in theology and religious studies. Yet, from Paul's own mouth, all his great achievements were deemed rubbish in comparison with what he gained from his relationship with Christ. The Scripture uses the term "dung" or "rubbish" which in the Greek text, mean any number of rotten, decaying things, all that is worth getting rid of.

Now, Paul is not saying get rid of your achievements. Rather, he is encouraging us to prioritize what's most important over what's important or good. Education, career, financial security, family relationship, advance studies, and even ministry are good, but Christ is the most important. And far too often we fail to prioritize the value of our relationship with Christ over everything else. Sometimes we become Martha, so focused on the responsibilities of our daily life that we miss out on the best thing that Mary chose: to be in the presence of the Lord, listening to his words, that will shape our character and help develop our relationship with him.

Apart from our relationship with Christ, we must treat everything else in our lives "as if” they are all decaying things. Matthew 6:33 says: Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things (e.g. food, clothes shelter, finances, health, wellbeing) will be added unto you. Notice, Jesus said, "seek first." If there is a ‘first’ we must seek, Jesus has left room for a second and third and so forth. If we seek first to develop a relationship with the Lord, then in actuality we are prioritizing as Paul encourages. This is personal, the reason Paul said, "I count it as loss." Further, Paul said, forget those things which are behind and reach forth to those things which are to come, and press forwards towards the goal, for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Scripture speaks about the call of God, but here it said the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. When we prioritize our relationship with the Lord, the high calling becomes critically important and in pressing forward towards that goal, we will experience the power of His  resurrection and the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus.

 

R.G.  04/04/25
Image: pixabay.com

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