Have you ever gone through a shift in priorities in your life?  Maybe something changed and what you once considered so very important takes a backseat to your new priority.  This is Paul’s story.  He addresses the Philippian church because he sees them beginning to prioritize the wrong things.  Let’s look at his words in chapter 3 together today.  

If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 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.

Like Paul we can all get caught up in the trap of trusting in our own abilities at times.  We can prioritize our gifts, our obedience, our faithfulness.  The reality is that the priority should never change it should always be Jesus.  Paul said everything else is rubbish compared to knowing Jesus.  If knowing and loving and following and living like Jesus are the things that are of most importance to us then we are on the right track.  I pray that for all of us this would be the priority to know Jesus more and more and to each day be a little bit more like Him.

In His Grip,

Pastor Dave