philippians 3.7-8 (ms) the very credentials these people are waving around as something special, i'm tearing up and throwing out with the trash—along with everything else i used to take credit for. and why? because of CHRIST. yes, all the things i once thought were so important are gone from my life. compared to the high privilege of knowing CHRIST JESUS as my master, firsthand, everything i once thought i had going for me is insignificant—dog dung.
wow. he says it like it is. paul is saying here that all this stuff that he thought was so important compared to a relationship with CHRIST is insignificant—dog dung. it is all worthless. compared to CHRIST it is dog dung.
we need to know what is important. don't lose your joy over things that really don't count. the number one reason people lose their joy is they get too involved in things that really aren't that important. and paul is saying that what matters most is not your prestige, pedigree, possessions, position or power. you can have it all and still be unhappy.
in luke 12.15 (ms) JESUS says, take care! protect yourself against the least bit of greed. life is not defined by what you have, even when you have a lot.
contrary to what you see on tv, you can't have it all! in v. 8, paul points out that life consists of trade-offs. that's an important lesson you must learn in life. he said he gave up something in order to gain something else. he gave up his religion in order to have a relationship.
as i said, the number one reason why people don't have joy is misplaced priorities. they are afraid that they are going to have to give up something in order to become a CHRISTian. and they're right!
when you come to JESUS CHRIST you give up everything you've got. otherwise you're not a real CHRISTian. it is total commitment. and then you've never had it so good!
what i got is worth more than everything i gave up. you give up guilt and gain a clear conscious. you give up worry and gain a power for living. you give up frustration and lack of purpose in life and gain real meaning and purpose in life. you give up going to hell and gain going to heaven. you gave up trying to solve all your problems in your own power and gain having the resources of GOD to help solve your problems. that's a pretty good trade-off!
jim elliot said, "he is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep for that which he cannot lose."
what are you afraid of giving up for GOD? if you become a CHRISTian, get really committed to CHRIST, really live for JESUS CHRIST, what are you afraid is going to change in your life that you don't want to give up? whatever that is, that is the very thing that is robbing your joy.
just a thought from the front porch...
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