Sold Out

“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 my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death.”

Philippians 3:7-10 (NASB)

Why do we look for hope in the world that surrounds us? Why is it that we look for peace in this tumultuous place? Why do we seek to fit in with this ever-changing world? When faced with troubles, why do we search for strength in our own human abilities and for the friends who so often let us down? Why do we do all these things when everything we need is standing before us with outstretched arms and nail-scarred hands? All we need, we can find in Christ. He is our hope when life seems hopeless. Peace in the midst of the storms of life. The rock to which we can cling in a world of shifting sand. Our strength when the weight of our troubles is too heavy to bear. Our friend who has never once let us down or left our side. He is our everything and without Him, life just doesn't make sense.

I stand amazed at the attitude of people in our society, especially those who call themselves Christians. The gap that once separated Christians from non-Christians is slowly disappearing and the actions of Christians are beginning to resemble those of the world and the sad thing is that we seem so unconcerned. We have gotten caught up in the "desire to acquire"-- the more possessions we can gain, the better. We are more concerned with the desire to please ourselves and everyone else around us rather than pleasing our Savior.

The Apostle Paul was a man who knew what it was like to have plenty. He was very close to the top of Jewish society and was a Pharisee, yet he says that all the things he once held so dear (i.e. his title, reputation, possessions, etc.), when compared to his relationship with Christ, were worth nothing more than trash. Would we be able to say that about our relationship with God? Are we so consumed with our relationship with God that everything else pales in comparison? Or are we so focused on gaining wealth, possessions, and notoriety that God is only a fleeting thought in our minds? Those things that we seek in this life are only temporary. We try to keep them in our tight grip afraid to let them go, yet they slowly slip through our clenched fists only to leave us in despair and always wanting more.

The problem is, when we are focused on gaining those possessions and the approval of everyone else, we are never fulfilled, but a personal relationship with God is the most fulfilling experience known to man. My prayer is that our relationship with God would take center stage in our lives and that we would stop being so self-centered. As Christians, it is time to step up and fulfill the call of God in our lives: to reach the world with the Gospel of hope and forgiveness through Jesus Christ.