Philippians: To Live is Christ

Deep down, we all have the desire to be liked; to have worth. In the beginning of Paul’s letter to the Philippians, he lays his personal resume on the table (Philippians 3:4-6). He descended from the most highly regarded of Jewish tribes, and was groomed with the spiritual and educational elite. He had reached the apex of his success. Then his intro takes an unexpected turn when he remarks that all of these accomplishments are rubbish—in the original language, the word means animal dung—compared to knowing Christ (Philippians 3:1-8). So what’s Paul’s point? Paul knew who he was—a servant of Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:1). That’s it, and that’s all that was needed. We can keep striving for acceptance by winning more and achieving more. But all the while God is saying, “I’ve already given that to you.” It’s ours, just waiting for us to claim what has already freely been given to us.

Food for Thought:

When someone asks you to define yourself, how do you respond? Do you talk about what you do for a living, your degree, or your kids? Do you see yourself as just a composite of what you do, perform, and achieve, or is there more than that? What defines you and gives you worth?
In a world where kids are often overscheduled, running between clinics, practices, leagues, and performances, where is their affirmation coming from? Do their pats on the back come from a good performance? Activities can go a long way in instilling good values in kids. But if we’re not careful, the message received is this: your value is based on what you do. How does this mesh with how God values us?

Related Verses: