Devotion #22

CENTRAL TRUTH: Embracing faith requires a humble heart willing to sacrifice everything for Christ.

BIBLE PASSAGE: Philippians 3:7-8

Imagine a father playing the card game UNO with his 7-year-old daughter. Only, this is not a nice, innocent game; the father is extremely competitive and will do anything to win. He plays mind games to make his daughter feel unsure about the play she just made. He tries to catch glimpses of her cards to anticipate her next move. He creates new rules as the game proceeds to give himself the advantage. The father exalts as he wins the game but sends his daughter to tears. Has the father really gained anything? (Just in case you are concerned, this is not a personal example!)

The Apostle Paul was inspired by God to write in today’s key passage that everything he gained in life was rubbish compared to his salvation in Christ. His relationship with Jesus was far more important than any wins he might achieve in life. In fact, he was willing to lose for the sake of the relationship.

What are you willing to lose or sacrifice to gain more of Christ?

If you have not done so yet, please open your Journey Guide to the corresponding devotion in the Reading Journal section. Journal your thoughts in response to the questions found there, spend some time in prayer, and take a couple of minutes to review this week's Memory Verse.

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Today's Author

Erin Bird

My name is Erin Bird. You probably know me as the young adult pastor at New Covenant, where I have been on staff for almost six years now. But more important, I have been happily married to LeAnn for more than 13 years, and together we have Karis (10), Maegan (7), Salem (4), and Tsion (19 months today)

Some things you might not know about me: I am an avid Mac user and a Nebraska Cornhusker football fan. I was a music major in college with a piano emphasis, and now I give my girls piano lessons at home. I also won a baby pageant 34 years ago, and it has been downhill ever since.

Comments

[Linda]

I can really identify with that little girl. My dad would play checkers with me and would win all the time and really gloat about it. This started about age six. But I could not cry because it would bring more ridicule. I think that is why I grew up with the feeling that God was always watching me to catch me doing something wrong in order to punish me. He was like a mean thunderhead hiding in the clouds.Life was not easy and I couldn't even go to God or anybody because of family secrets.
Thank you for these blogs; I have really enjoyed them. God Bless you!

[Scott Sandvig]

Your example of the UNO game makes me think of stories I've heard about Super Bowl champions. They strive and work hard and do everything they possibly can to not just make it to the Super Bowl but to actually win it. They will stop at nothing in that pursuit. But then once they win it the question becomes what's next. There's a great let down because they've climbed their mountain and reached the summit. They now have nothing to strive for. But winning at anything or even gaining the world could never come close to comparing to the fulfilling relationship with the Holy One, the one who gave it all for us. We may think having all the money in the world will fulfill us or having all of anything we desire. But once we have it we quickly find we are not satisfied. He will never let us down and only He can fill the God-sized hole in our heart. Our fulfillment comes from Him and Him alone. Our pursuit of vanity is just that...vanity.

[Tye Male]

Nice devo Erin, and welcome to the middle adult flock! ha!

Linda - God really does love you and wants you to "win." He is totally delighted with you and you can't do anything to make him like you any more or any less. One person said it this way: he loves you like you were his only child.

It is so easy to put my trust in the things I do and what is easily inside my capabilities. When we came to NCBC 2 1/2 years ago it was a broken road of sorts. Every day we had to trust God for everything. Now that life has leveled off some it is so easy to slip back into thinking that I can handle things in my own strength.

My challenge today is to trust God every single minute for every single thing.

[Erin Bird]

Linda, I am so sorry to hear that my fictitious story was true for you. Hopefully you have already or currently are capturing a more accurate picture of who God really is, and as Tye said, how much He loves you.

Scott, your comments reminded me of a quote my father-in-law used to (and may still) carry around in his Bible. It's from Chris Evert, the famous tennis player of the 70s and 80s: "The thrill of winning Wimbledon lasts about a day." It was a reminder to him (and to be able to share with others) that the "wins" of this world are fleeting - only Christ can bring a true "win" in your life.

And Tye, thanks for the welcome to your flock. ;o) It'll be nice to finally have a flock pastor who isn't me. My counseling sessions with my flock pastor will go much smoother now!

[Patsy Norem]

As one who came from a Christian church background that taught certain traditions and rituals as "means" of God's grace, these verses speak to me more as being set free from anything and everything that would set itself up as a means (avenue) of God's grace to us for forgiveness and salvation - other than Jesus Christ himself!
Jesus Christ alone is my means of grace. As Paul looked back on his life and all of the requirements he kept according to the laws and traditions, everything he "did" thinking that it was profiting him toward favor with God, He now saw all of this as rubbish because he knew the real thing. He knew the truth, Jesus Christ! In the same way, I look at whatever was required before as rubbish. I have thrown it all away for the sake of KNOWING Jesus Christ my Lord. In Christ I have gained everything.

[Ed Luebe]

Erin - apparently you have heard about the Monopoly games at the Luebe household. Now I understand why my wife and kids don't want to play against me anymore. I laugh about it, but your devotional was a reminder that Monopoly is just a game that when it is over, we just add up the score, write it on the box and put everything away till next time. In our daily walk with Christ, it's not a game that we just put away after we have devoured our opponents. It's a journey of grace and truth that everyday God has allowed me the unbelievable privilege to be part of. Thank you Lord for the abundant life that you offer me because of your sacrifice on my behalf.

[Richard Kramer]

Some time ago I knew of a wealthy woman who thought life’s happiness might be found in owning properties. She began to buy houses until she had six of them all over the world. Her happiness turned into fear and worry for all of them when one of them was burglarized. She actually had nightmares and lost her enjoyment of being a property owner.
If she had been a Christian, this intense involvement and worry could have become what I think Paul calls ”rubbish”--anything that interferes or destroys the personal relationship with Christ-- not that owning property is problematic, but how you deal with it can be.
I have to watch myself constantly not to fall into a similar trap. There are so many things so important to us that are really just rubbish! “Knowing you, Jesus, knowing you—there is no greater thing . . . .”

[Erin Bird]

Richard, excellent illustration! Too bad it is true (unlike my story in the devo.)

Ed, you should read John Ortberg's book "When the Game is Over It All Goes Back In the Box"!

Great comments, everyone! I've enjoyed reading your thoughts and insights, not only today, but this whole journey.

[Air Jordans]

And remember Time is another river.

[cheap coach bags]

If you want to love your own worth, you have to create value to the world.