Lighten the Load

"But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him..."

Philippians 3:7-9 TNIV

I've had this Scripture going around in my head for days. Paul incorporates so many powerful metaphors into his discussion about becoming right with God through faith in Christ, and not through human effort.

One is a financial metaphor - whatever he thought would profit him before (such as his status as a Pharisee, his Jewish lineage, his good effort, and so on), he now considers a loss. They cannot put him right with God; they do in fact restrict a person's freedom if the person puts their trust in them.

Another is a rubbish metaphor - that compared to the greatness of knowing Christ, everything else is worthless trash, to be thrown out. Almost like a ship that is weighed down with unneeded or useless cargo, these things must be thrown overboard if we are to truly be found in Christ.

This gets me thinking. Have I truly lost all things for the sake of Christ? Or do I still put too much value on my good reputation, my giftings, my skills, or others' opinions? Because truly denying oneself to follow Christ means that we throw everything overboard to take hold of Christ and be saved through Him alone; no thing nor person is as important to us as Jesus.

With this in mind, if I truly consider all things rubbish compared to knowing Christ, then I will use my gifts differently. If I preach, it is to serve the church, not to prove that I am highly gifted or to make myself look good. If I teach, it is to help others to understand the Word of God better, not to show how much I know.

If others criticize me as I serve the body of Christ, or if I feel unappreciated, I let bitterness and resentment die at the cross of Christ, because I am serving him, and the praises of man mean nothing to me.

What a challenge! What do I need to 'throw overboard' today in order to trust in Christ alone?