Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the priceless gain of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I may have Christ Phil. 3:8 (NLT)
When I was in high school I lifted weights regularly. My body over time went from being fragile and flabby; to stronger and more defined. I soon adopted a lofty goal; to bench press 300 lbs. I believed in myself if I could bench press that much weight I would be considered strong and the girls would adore me. I treasured the thought of being able to brag to others of my great feat. I was on my way to reaching my goal; as I went from being able to lift barely 100 lbs to a nice 225 lbs. I was 75 lbs away from realizing my goal when I injured my wrist during the last football game of my junior year; I have never been able to bench press over 235 lbs (and that hurt profusely!). For a while this fact crushed my spirit; until my wife (just a friend at the time) put it to me so clearly. “Girls don’t really care about that stuff!”
In life we put so much emphasis on things of minimal importance. We spend countless hours studying, practicing, and improving our skills at things like sports, business, finances, hobbies, games, etc. We treasure these things and ideas so much that they become our life’s mission; if I can only reach a certain status, own enough stuff, have enough money, go enough places, experience enough; then I will be fulfilled. We seek so hard and fast after these goals that we lose sight of the things that are truly important: knowing God and making Him known. Earthly treasures will all pass away, but heavenly riches will last forever (Matt 6:19 -20).
The Apostle Paul had a profound list of earthly accomplishments; he could have boasted about his greatness and the status that he obtained. However, he looked on earthly treasures as garbage when compared to a relationship with Jesus Christ. Status and possessions were no longer important to him; he considered them “worthless”! Paul did not want to be known as a great man who accomplished great things or owned great earthly riches; he wanted to be known as a man who had a living relationship with God! His life’s mission became to have a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ, and to help others obtain and grow in their relationship with Jesus; everything else was vain.
What is your life’s mission? Is it in earthly goals and measures? Or is it in a relationship with Jesus Christ, and a desire to make Him known?
