IBS Philippians 3:8 (3-10-14)

Inductive Bible Study Method for Philippians 3:8 (3-10-14)

“Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ.”

This verse reminds me of Philippians 1:21 “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Paul had the right mindset - to live only for Christ and to die only for Christ. He knew that nothing in this life was worth the eternity he would spend with his Savior. He counted all things as loss - he suffered so much persecution throughout his life and always praised God through it. He claimed that anything in his life that wasn’t pleasing to God was rubbish, trash, and worthless. 

How often do I place value on things/people/experiences over the value I place on spending time with Jesus, reading His Word, and praying? Do I count everything as loss in comparison to gaining Christ? It’s really easy right now to put Jesus as a priority in my life because of being surrounded and immersed in the Word and worship all the time, here at Ignite. What will it be like when I’m in Kenya, when I have a lot more independence and a lot less structure? Even more, what will it be like when I’m back in the US, when life is being thrown at me from all directions?

I want this time in training to be in preparation for a lifetime of putting Christ first in my life. I’ve seen what my life looks like when God is secondary or even further down my list of priorities. It’s a mess. I’m running around like a chicken with its head cut off, trying to keep it all together while wondering why I can’t seem to accomplish anything. The reason is because I try to do things in my own strength and keep picking up the garbage of this world. It’s because I need to rely on God’s strength, lay down my rubbish at the foot of the Cross, and find all my needs fulfilled in Him.

I want to be complete and lacking nothing, and the only way to do this is to put God first in not only my life, but in my heart. I’m going to draw a heart with a cross inside it on my hand to remind me that Jesus needs to be my “Number One”. I’m also going to spend some time being silent before the Lord in the mornings before I get out of bed to just thank Him for Who He is, and ask Him to help me live for Him instead of for myself.