Each of us has things we love dearly. We tend to categorize them in our minds from our greatest love to things we just care about but could live without. I hear people often talk about their love for Christ as being supreme in their lives, but the true value of it is unknown even to them because it has not been tested. In America, we have bought the idea that we can have it all. Love of Christ, love of things, love of people, and even love of self. While we are so blessed, it would do each of us well to evaluate our love for God by our actions and words. Sometimes we deceive ourselves into believing we love God more than anything when it has cost us nothing.
One thing that we all have in common is how we value things. Money makes the world go round in the American home. What we are willing to pay for something determines how valuable it is to us. Our love for Christ should be the most important thing to us, and what we are willing to pay for that should be nothing short of our own lives.
Paul makes it clear in Philippians 3:7-8, that nothing comes close to the value he places on knowing Christ. He would be willing to give up everything to gain Christ. He did give up his status as a Jewish leader, his wealth, his comfort, and even his friends and family to spread the gospel of Jesus. He didn’t just say it, he did it by going to areas where his life was in danger for preaching Christ. Compared to what he gained in Christ he counted the things he lost as dung. The word dung means something that is worthless, garbage, or filth of any kind. Paul was using the strongest language to express how worthless external things were to him when compared to his salvation in Christ.
Philippians 3:7-8 “But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. 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”
Let us take a long look at ourselves and decide if we are putting Christ first in our love lives. Those who don’t take time to evaluate their relationship with Christ will not give Christ their best and will stand before Him one day and be ashamed.
First, we will look at our time. Time is a valuable resource. It is something that once spent we can never regain. Each minute is given to us to use for His glory. I Corinthians 10:31 teaches us that in all things we are to honor Christ. So how much of our time is spent on useless junk. What benefit do the things we do serve to honor Christ? Are we spending our time doing things that we would do if Jesus were right beside us? News flash, He is not beside you, He is in you! So, whatever you are doing you are dragging Him along with you. How much time do we spend studying and praying? These are commanded by God in II Timothy 2:15, Luke 18:1, and Romans 12:12. Throughout the New Testament, we are reminded over and over to search the scriptures, pray, and obey. Do you think about God in every situation? Are you in constant communion with Him? What about your activities? Are you allowing your recreational time to interfere with your time of corporate worship? Do you think by reading a 5 to 15 minutes devotion you have given God the study time He requires? I can assure you that if you only read a few minutes each day you will not grow as a Christian, and if you are not growing you are shrinking! How do I know that? Because the person who is growing can’t wait to spend time in His word. They are willing to give up sleep, recreation, or whatever, to spend time learning about God. There are many good devotions that don’t take more than 10 minutes to read but they should be your starting point, not your complete time spent in God’s word.
II Timothy 2:15 “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needed not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
Romans 12:12 “Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer”
What about your money? Are you giving at least a tenth of your gross income to God? Yes, I said gross. Your taxes are a bill you pay just like any other bill. Your gross is what is yours that you earn. Does God need our money? No, God needs nothing from us, but it is His way to continue the gospel and meet the needs of our fellow believers who are not able to take care of themselves. It is also how God shows His faithfulness to us. If we obey, He will meet all our needs. You can’t take it with you; therefore, we need to use it where it will bring the most benefit to the kingdom. It is also the way the local church can function and continue to win others to Him.
Last, what about your abilities? Are you giving Him the best of who you are? We are instructed to worship him in Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs in Ephesians 5:19. This is not directed at those we think have “good” voices but to every Christian. What about meeting the physical needs of others, cleaning the church you attend, visiting the sick or lonely, or offering to assist in any area where you have abilities.
Ephesians 5:19 “speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart,”
Can you say as Paul did in Philippians 3:7-8 that you will give everything up for Jesus? Do you value your love for Christ so much that everything else seems worthless in comparison? The truth of that question is not determined by your words but by your actions.
