Day Sixteen

Bible Reading

Phil 3:5-11 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless. 7 But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 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 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. 10 I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.

Devotional

Have you ever been in a conversation with a “topper”? Someone who always owns something better, or had an experience that was in some way better than yours. They are sure to point it out to somehow make your experience seem less than it was. In this passage Paul is doing the complete opposite. He’s listing all these things he has done and in the end he’s declaring that they are all worthless garbage in comparison to Christ. What an incredible thing to think about! In light of what we have in Christ, nothing else compares. Nothing this world has to offer comes close to the blessing of having a personal relationship with Jesus. Let’s live lives that reflect this truth! May our hearts continually desire for more of Him and less of this world. May we be people who seek after God’s righteousness day by day - not out of pride but out of love and a knowledge that nothing this world can offer what we find in Christ.

Question to Think About

In what ways do we often prioritize “garbage” over the things of God?