January 29
A Pile of Garbage
and do count them
but dung, that I may win Christ,
Things! More things.
Everything. I think there is a
song that describes our present day (2014) culture. “I want it all and I want it now!” Companies used to spend millions to convince
us we need the things they sell. Now they spend even more to make us feel
ashamed if we have the “old model”. “You
still have a flip phone? Ha Ha Ha.” “How can you watch football on that little
48” screen?” “Your car doesn’t come with
a built in microwave? You must like cold coffee.” Etc etc.
It used to be people just wanted to “keep up with the Jones’s”.
That was when people spent money they didn’t have to buy things they didn’t
want to impress people they didn’t like. But now days our culture is no longer
satisfied to just keep up, they want to have the best, most, latest whiz-bang
things and leave the Jones’s way behind.
Why is that? It isn’t a new thing.
I read an account of a woman who stopped to look at
something. A salesman engaged her in
small talk and mentioned an item she might be interested in. She replied that
she really shouldn’t but it was appealing. So she picked it up and saw how great it
looked. She really wanted it. It was something that would help her be smarter.
What could be wrong with learning to be wise.
So Eve took a bite of the forbidden fruit. She had acted on the same forces that drive
people today.
1Jo 2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the
flesh,
and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life,
Mt 19:21 Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go
and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in
heaven: and come and follow me. 22 But when the young man heard that saying, he
went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.
Having things is not a problem. The problem is when things
have you. Be careful before you answer that things don’t have you. When Paul
said he had lost all things and counted them as dung he was including what he
had listed in vrs 4-7. That included his
heritage. He came from a very good family. He had studied and earned a high
position, he was a Pharisee, a member of the religious and political party of
the day. In addition to being a Pharisee he was a very zealous Pharisee. The Pharisee’s were a religious party that
was scrupulous in obeying every Jewish law and ceremony. Paul said he obeyed
every Jewish law until he was blameless.
What things make you happy?
How do you use that to further your spiritual growth, or the ministry of
Christ in the community? Perhaps it is a
thing which you don’t see any way to use it spiritually. That is OK. But does that wonderful thing you
have impede your Christian growth or testimony?
Then that isn’t OK.
Perhaps you come from a well known family in your
community. Or you have acquired some
position of prominence, or have a sterling reputation. Paul had all those. Paul had a lot of friends when he was a
Pharisee. He lost them when he started
preaching Christ and salvation by faith.
If you have never accepted Christ those things are important
to you. They define who you are. Paul had all those and said
Php 3:8 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
Paul was joyful, even in prison, facing possible execution,
with the loss of everything for Christ. It is not necessary that you lose
everything as Paul did. What is required is you do not put any thing ahead
of Christ and His work.
If you are a born again, Bible believing Christian, would
your reputation, your community position, or any other thing you hold dear be damaged
if people learned you are a dedicated Bible believing Christian. Or have you
managed to keep your daily life and your Sunday Christianity separate? I doubt any reader of this blog is that
shallow a Christian. It is my hope that you all understand, as Paul did, that
things do not bring lasting happiness.
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