You may know Paul's story. He was raised in the right place, educated in the best schools and ended up antagonistic toward the people of the Way or the Jesus followers. Through the help of authorities as well as the church, Paul (known as Saul then) systematically went around seeking to end the spread of Jesus' teaching. That was until the day Paul met Jesus. Everything changed!
In Philippians 3 Paul talked about his understanding of Jesus. Nothing compared to knowing Jesus. Not his pedigree or his education or even his status. Knowing Jesus was the highest point in life. That ought to be true for us as well
If we are going to be successful in life and in 2012, we need to … Get Comfortable with Jesus … that means we talk about Him often, follow Him and share Him as often as possible. Notice what Paul said here:
Philippians 3:8-9 NASB
More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith,
It is less about me, Paul said, and he had a lot to brag about. None of it compares to Jesus. It really is all about Him, about Jesus.
Jesus changes me. What is important to me changes me. When I value Christ more than anything, I am changed.
He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less.
Maybe the most profound statement Paul made was this … I want to be found in Him by His righteousness and not my own. Because of what Jesus did in the past I am changed, based solely on Jesus through grace and not based on law or what I can do.
May God help us know Him, love Him and share Him more in 2012. I do want to be found in Christ. My life based on Him. My life yearning for Him, and my life patterned after is.
Steve Furtick said it well in a recent blog on his blog: Don't just put Jesus first this year… "Not Jesus, then my family. But Jesus in my family. Not Jesus, then my career. But Jesus in my career. We'd probably be a lot more successful in actually keeping Jesus at the top spot on our list. And we'd be much more likely to do an exponentially greater job at accomplishing our other goals and maintaining our priorities."
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