To close out Monday. . .

I love the Apostle Paul. He was a man who's heart I wish I had. He had a faith that I covet. His love for God made him press on even when everyone else (even his closest friends) was giving up. Tonight I went to Erin's after work for the Bible study she was leading based on "The Purpose Driven Life." One of the questions that was brought up was, what would it look like to live a life that you knew had purpose? And my thoughts were sent immediately to Phillipians 3:7-8. Paul has just said how if anyone could have comfort in the flesh, it would be him. He was the pharisee of all pharisees, keeping the law and striving for God. But his words really echo a passion that I wish to have:

But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ. . .

"I count them as rubbish." Wow. I wish I could say that about the things that I get worked up over and take pride in. I wish that I could look at my job when it doesn't go my way with interviews or positions (as it did today) and say, "it doesn't matter. It's all rubbish compared to Christ." I wish I could look at the movies and television shows I cling to and give them up and count them all as rubbish. I wish I could look at anything that tangles me up or trips me and say "I'm getting rid of them. They're all rubbish."

Because isn't that the goal as we begin to focus on Christ? As we focus more and more on him, we see the rest of the world begin to slip away. As we passionately pursure Him, we see the things we've lived for and depended on begin to seem just like what they are. . . rubbish. Trash. Waste. Compared to Christ and all that He offers, our job is a rotten banana peel, our relationships are soggy hefty bags filled with rotten meat, and our money and possessions are nothing more than the leftovers we toss to the dog. In fact, even our good works, the Bible says, are oily, filthy rags. Why? Because Christ is all that matters. He's the one we need to live for and pursue.

Oh God, give me a heart like Paul. Help me to look at the other things in my life that I stake so much importance and love in and realize that they are nothing but rubbish, trash, and waste compared to you. You are infinetly worth more than anything that we can put a value on!

C-Dubbs