June 7- Philippians 3:8

THE VERSE

Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.
~Philippians 3:8

THE THOUGHT

We hear a lot about “values.” Every election cycle, “values voters” are in the news. Family values are trumpeted from pulpits and ministries. But what are “values,” really?

Values are simply the things we regard as valuable, worthwhile, or important. “Family values” implies that things related to strong families are important to us (as they should be). Other things we value might be relationships, financial security, comfort, or success. But what does the Bible have to say about values?

In God’s economy, there is one “value” that trumps all others: Jesus Christ. He is the most valuable person in the universe. The weight of His worthiness, the height of His holiness, the price of His preciousness, outstrip every other valuable thing in the world, combined. The words from His mouth are more precious than gold, one instant of His affection is sweeter than all the accumulated history of human romance, one glance at His holiness will terrify and satisfy the soul for eternity. When Paul considered everything in his life, all the world could offer, and all the range of human experience and emotion and blessing, compared to the “surpassing worth” of simply knowing Jesus, there was no contest. Every privilege, prestige, and power on one side of the scale, and Jesus on the other, and Paul’s answer was clear: “I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.”

Do we have this exalted view of Jesus? Or do we dishonor Him by casually placing Him among our many trophies, and consider the honor of being united by faith with Him as just one of our many crowns? Do we treat the preaching of His Word and the inestimable privilege of worship on Sunday mornings as a light thing? Do we even sometimes take His eternally holy name in vain, using what should be supremely precious as an expletive or curse? Oh, that we would have God’s perspective on the surpassing worth of His Son! Oh, that we would see how great Jesus is, and would lay our lives down in the service of knowing Him and making Him known!

THE PRAYER

Jesus, I want to know You like this! Take the blinders off my eyes and let me see You for who You really are. Everything else is loss compared to knowing You—even if I don’t feel that way, I know that’s objective reality. Make my values system come into alignment with Yours, so that I will no longer be held captive to the sins and pleasures of this world, but will instead find all my hope, all my joy, and all my satisfaction in knowing You and making You known.

EXTENDED READING

Philippians 3:7-11
Psalm 63:1-5
Psalm 16:8-11

THE QUOTE

“Until men feel that they owe everything to God, that they are cherished by His paternal care, and that He is the author of all their blessings, so that naught is to be looked for away from Him, they will never submit to Him in voluntary obedience; no, unless they place their entire happiness in Him, they will never yield up their whole selves to Him in truth and sincerity.” ~John Calvin