Philippians 3:7. “But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.”
THE GREAT REVERSAL. Credentials won by faithful study under a wise teacher Success I would like to claim because I am a preacher Things considered to one’s credit only are in vain The only value worth considering is, “What does my Lord gain?”
People may at times express some flattering communication Over something successfully done or some lengthy dissertation Treat those praises as their response and take them only lightly The object of any words and service is to honor God more highly.
Travel to distant places and the challenges that brings Are often quite misunderstood when people our praises sing Those efforts must be for God alone under the Spirit’s guidance If there is underlying deception, it is time for my repentance.
Past achievements and present work may get in the way Of the ongoing personal relationship with Christ, needed every day Who cares who gets the credit if God is honored thus; We all need to remember success doesn’t depend on us.
We dare not be self-centered; the center place belongs to Him Who gave us this new life and then sent us out to win; Others who are lost in darkness, and tell them of God’s love That they too would experience the eternal life we have.
Do not consider it profit because you may seem successful
Don’t think there is virtue in appearing to be stressful Because pride in any of us takes many different forms And no good will ultimately come to those tooting their own horns.
Throw all of self overboard and count all loss for Christ Self-aggrandizement is always sin, though others think it’s nice Throw all advertisement of your work to the four winds And be assured God knows when we give all glory to Him.
“O God, please keep me from advertising any success and never let me cast a dark reflection on Thee for any failures. I trust thee to evaluate properly all that I do. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.”
The cost of living as a Christian is the willingness to "count all things but loss." Beyond that then is what we gain - "the knowledge of Christ." To know Him in this way is a priceless privilege that leads us into a deep relationship with Him that enables us to understand Him better and ourselves as well. Anything that would come between that objective is worthless trash to be thrown away. In a practical way we know Christ better by studying His life as it is written in the Gospels. There are references to Him through all of the New Testament, and types and shadows of Him in the Old Testament that reveal Him to us. What he said and what He did in various circumstances are written for our learning. Once we read about Him, then it is up to us to practice the same things in order to really know Him.