One of the hardest things in life is the act of letting go. We tend to use our things, our family, or our positions as security. They make us feel worth something or connected. We may look at our family as a safe haven or view them as a crutch to hold us up when things go wrong. Things may be our avenue of plugging into others. Our common values and stuff make us feel we belong. Yet, in realization, in order to fully be connected to Christ, we must let go of all the things we count as valuable. In Philippians 3:4-8, Paul shares with us how futile it is and how freeing it is to let go of everything that we place our confidence in.
He starts in verse 4 saying he has confidence in the flesh. This is an area we all struggle with. We see an area where we have achieved, and we feel rather good about ourselves. It may be the training of our physical body, or mentally solving a problem, and we soon forget where our abilities come from. Paul says according to man’s standard he had it all. The heritage of the Israelites, a Hebrew of the Hebrews. In other words, the best name and position of the nation. With that heritage, he had the zeal to go with it. If the Jews were against it, he led the charge! Before meeting Jesus on the road to Damascus Paul’s confidence in himself was through the roof. He showed no need for anyone. He thought he was doing what was right for the Jewish faith, but when he understood Jesus was the Messiah, he let go of the past and clung to the future.
Philippians 3:4-7 “Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more: Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.”
When he experienced Christ, all of his worldly gain, the prestige, and the things he possessed, were now counted as worthless compared to what he had in Jesus. He let go of the earthly crutches and God gave him back so much more. He will forever have an effect on all who believe in Jesus. Paul’s obedience to let go and trust Christ bore fruit with eternal consequences.
Philippians 3:8 “Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,”
We have been so blessed by God that I believe sometimes our blessings have become our curse. We have a good job, and soon we buy more things. We now have more things that take more of our attention. We must keep working to keep all the things going, and the first thing we skimp on to keep the ball rolling is our time alone with God. The thing we need most, the thing that will keep us satisfied and safe for all eternity is now getting the least amount of our time. We are yielding to Satan, and we don’t even realize it. One day we wake up feeling empty and wonder where the joy of our salvation has gone. We feel defeated and to combat that feeling we buy more stuff, take a vacation, or start a new hobby. Instead of letting go, we are grabbing on tighter to hang on to the things that are keeping us from the best. Paul understood the pitfalls of an upstanding successful reputation and he gladly threw it away and clung to Jesus.
From reading Paul’s letters, it was not a difficult choice to let go of what he had for the possibilities he had in Christ. Does this mean that we must sell everything and have no earthly possessions? No, because even an extremely poor person can have their things at the forefront of their lives. What it does mean is that you have let go of allowing your things to control you. Your heritage will not keep you from showing love or witnessing to the poorest or richest person in the world. Your family’s desires for other things during church time will not keep you from being faithful to attending services, and being involved in your local church. Your desire for comfort will not determine if you sleep in or get up early to meet with Jesus. Your flesh will not control you, by God’s grace you will engage in a life to follow Christ with your whole heart.
The world tells us we can have it all, but Jesus says in Matthew 6:24 that you can’t. We cannot have two masters. If Jesus is first, we must let go of everything else. He must be the main thing in our actions and in our thoughts. Where do you stand? Are you struggling with balancing church, personal devotion time, and everything else? It may be time to evaluate your spiritual life and let go of anything that hinders your forward progress. We will never discover the riches of Christ until we let go of this world’s idea of success.
Matthew 6:24 “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”
