“But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ”
–Philippians 3:7, 8
Gains and successes - as Christians we know we aren’t supposed to want those things. But… of course we do. And sure, sometimes it is selfish. We want to have nice things because they are, well, nice to have! And we often can’t help but want to be respected in other people’s eyes.
Sometimes, though, gains and successes are truly unselfish. We want to do well at work to help others. We want to succeed on a test or a project because it will help the rest of the group as well. Success isn’t always selfish, and that makes it a good thing… right?
Here in our text, this kind of unselfish success may be exactly what Paul is talking about being “garbage.” When my gains and successes are selfish, I already know, deep down, that they are not the goal of life, that these things are just surface. I don’t really need anyone to tell me that, I can feel guilty all by myself. However, when my gains and successes are for the benefit of others as well (though also for myself), I feel good about my own abilities and talents.
Sidebar–feeling good about ourselves is a good thing! God loves us and wants us to love ourselves! So, what is the problem? The problem comes when these things become our goals, and then we accomplish them and start to feel confident in ourselves alone. We see less and less of our need for God. Then, when failures come (and they will), we crash and burn–mentally, emotionally, but especially, spiritually.
What is the solution? If we are supposed to feel good about ourselves and accomplish good things for others, but we aren’t supposed to focus on success, what do we do? It’s not success that is the problem, it’s our focus on what makes something successful. If our own successes, or even the successes of those around us, are the goal, they become a block from Christ’s success. But, if in everything we do our goal is to let Christ shine–no matter the success or failure of our own wants, then we will become the Christians we are called to be.
What interaction was hardest for you this week? Where do you feel you struggled most? Take a minute to think on that. Then ask: how can I use that moment for Christ? This is where it starts.
–Pastor Jana Lee