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YOU CAN'T HAVE IT ALL
Dr. Joe Pettigrew
“I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ.” Philippians 3:8
I wonder what value you put in certain things – your home, your kids, your relationships, your job; your reputation; your achievements; your talents;
your education; your safety – your bank balance?
No matter how hard you try, you can’t “have it all”. Life’s too short! There are trade–offs we must be willing to make. In Matthew chapter 19
we read the story of the man who wanted to follow Christ, but he didn’t want to give up his lifestyle. Paul, on the other hand, said, “I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ.”
Let’s look at some trade–offs in life that are worth making:
Approval for accomplishment. For people–pleasers and approval–junkies this means
realizing that accolades are like smoke; they evaporate quickly. Awards turn to rust. Financial gain is quickly spent or lost. You must come to the place where “doing good” means more to you than “looking good”.
Security for significance. Greatness doesn’t lie in what we earn or own; it lies in
what we give our life to accomplish. Instead of merely focusing on making a living, ask God to help you make a difference!
Exploration for expertise. Too many of us like to dabble, but the problem with dabbling
is that we never really become great at anything. True, when we’re young we should try new things and see where our strengths and interests lie. But as we get older we must become more focused. You will go far in life if
you ‘specialize’ in something. When we study the lives of great men and women, we find that they were single–minded and tenacious. So once you have found what God created and called you to do, stick with it and let the
rest go.
Before his conversion Paul had all that this world could offer but like Moses before him he refused to be enticed by the benefits and advantages that this
life had to offer, recognizing that by comparison - knowing Christ’s Jesus was of paramount importance and so for His sake Paul, like Moses - was prepared to suffer the loss of all things and to regard them as utter garbage,
in order that he might gain Christ.
Thought of the Day
Let us take Paul’s example to heart and recognize the immense worth, value,
joy, wonder and glory of knowing Christ Jesus our Lord.
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