Day 9:...Everything Else is Garbage

 

DAY 9

Reflections on Ephesians: DAY 1/ DAY 2 / DAY 3 / DAY 4 / DAY 5 / DAY 6

Reflections on Philippians DAY 7 / DAY 8

*IMPORTANT WORSHIP SONG TO MEDITATE ON FOR THIS REFLECTION*

Reading: Philippians 3

Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake, I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage so that I can gain Christ. - Philippians 3:8

Have you listened to Knowing You yet? I have been listening to Steffany Gretzinger's Faith of My Father album every day since our Worship Leader shared it with us two weeks ago. I loved her take on classic worship songs and how it ushered me beautifully into the presence of the Lord during my intimate times with Him. One song on that album that has captured me is Knowing You. I admit that prior to this album, I have not heard it yet. But I loved Steffany's version! I loved it so much I would keep listening to it. 

Then when I was reading Philippians 3 last night, it hit me. Knowing You is ABOUT PHILIPPIANS 3!!! I researched its composer, Graham Kendrick, and he confirmed in this article that it is indeed about that chapter in Philippians. 

All I once thought gain I have counted loss
Spent and worthless now, compared to this

Knowing you, Jesus
Knowing you, there is no greater thing
You're my all, you're the best
You're my joy, my righteousness
And I love you, Lord

Again, let me gush about St. Paul and his passion for Christ as he so eloquently expresses in this beautiful chapter in Philippians. 

He started off the chapter by sharing his "credentials." A bit odd for Paul, but there is a reason for this. He says that if others have reason for confidence in their own efforts, he has even more. He goes on to mention that he has been "a law-abiding citizen" by being circumcised at 8 days old (per custom), a pure-blooded citizen of Israel from the Tribe of Benjamin, -- a real certified Hebrew! He even shares that he was a member of the Pharisees who demanded the strictest obedience to Jewish law. He was so zealous that he *harshly persecuted the Christian Church* (before he had his Saul to Paul conversion.) He even obeyed the law without fault. 

To a regular Jew listening, these were impressive credentials. Perhaps in today's standard of society, this would equate to coming from a good family, with excellent academic background and achievements, a respectable job or business, good attendance in church...perfect on paper. 

But then he shifts gears in verses 7 to 8 by declaring all those credentials that he thought were once valuable, as WORTHLESS because of what Christ has done. He is saying that nothing absolutely compares to the *infinite value* (limitless value) of knowing Christ Jesus. Everything else, he counts as garbage and useless - compared to knowing Jesus and having Him in his life. 

Everything else is worthless...

Counting all as garbage...

Before the pandemic, I felt like I was on top of the world. I had a two-bedroom apartment right in the middle of the city. I had a good-paying job with a respectable managerial position in a deluxe hotel chain spanning 13 properties across Asia. This job allowed me to travel and stay in really expensive hotels, eat luxurious meals, brush elbows with the who's who of our nation. In my free time, I would spend time with friends who were some of the city's best singer-songwriters and musicians (disclaimer: I'm still friends with them until now and I love them to bits). I was the daughter of the Primate of Asia, one of the most loved leaders in ICCEC. I went to church and had a ministry.  But God was simply mixed in with my very full, very vibrant, very "exciting" life. 

And then when the pandemic hit, one by one, they all came toppling down. All of a sudden, where I lived, my job, the people I worked with, my friends, my family ~ all of them could not do anything to make the pandemic stop or go away. Nothing offered comfort nor relief. Only the promises of God remained. Only the promises of God strengthened me.

It was in that deep, terrifying moment in my life that I truly knew in my heart that everything else is worthless without Christ. EVERYTHING. If I did not have faith, if I did not have Christ, all I would ever feel back then until now would just be pure despair. 

Have you ever paused to think about what our lives will be like right now without Jesus Christ? If He did not die for our sins, if He stayed in heaven - do you know how severely different and difficult life would be?

If He did not come down to make Himself known as our Savior:

• satan would still have the key to hell, death, and the grave
• only the Jews can be saved so 99% of the population of this earth are doomed to hell
• we cannot enter into the presence of God without passing through an Israelite High Priest, which means we cannot really pray boldly 
• there will be no grace, every sin has an equivalent punishment
• there will be no Holy Spirit to help and guide  us 
• we will still be under the law 
• we cannot be protected by the blood of Jesus because no blood was shed so we would keep sacrificing animals 
• we cannot claim "By His stripes we are healed" because there are no stripes
• we cannot do greater works than Jesus because He never came
• ...and more horrifying and terrible things which you and I should be grateful shall forever remain in our imaginations because praise be to God, that did NOT happen.

So do you see now how everything else is garbage and worthless compared to the INFINITE value of Knowing Jesus? His sacrifice for us is priceless and nothing we can ever do on earth will ever outdo that. 

Knowing You Jesus, there is no greater thing. 

I cannot wait to meet Him face to face. I truly can't. There are so many that I would like to personally thank Him for.  And for now, I will just express it in the way I live my life and serve Him while here on earth. 

"I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Jesus, is calling us." Philippians 3:14 

Eyes on the prize, guys. Let us not get distracted by things that would simply take us away from Christ. Count it all as a loss. Nothing compares to a life lived with Him. Nothing. 

PRAYER: Father God, open our eyes to see that everything else is worthless when compared to the infinite value of knowing You, Christ Jesus. Help us to grow in our relationship with You. Continue to give us an understanding of Your heart that we may be able to flow in Your love and immerse everyone around us with it. Increase our faith every day and help us to press on and focus on our heavenly prize. Show us how we can act as citizens of heaven even if we are still here on earth. May our goal always be heaven, may our goal always be You, Jesus. Amen.