Recognizing the Value
I have the hardest time nailing down a “favorite” Bible verse. There are just too many to be left out. But I suppose if I had to name only one, (this really is difficult) I would have to say Philippians 3:7-11:
“But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.”
Most people don’t see knowing Christ as valuable. Essential, yes. Helpful, yes. But valuable? Hum… When you are comparing life and earthly possessions to Jesus Christ, how many could honestly say, “Oh yeah, give me Jesus over my stuff any day!” We would like to answer “yes”, but we struggle to see the equal merit between Jesus and a life we enjoy right now. But, Jesus is valuable. Surpassingly valuable, according to Paul.
While studying the book of Job a while back, I was asking God why He allowed Job to endure such devastation and pain in his life – what was the purpose God had in mind? After surviving the torment Satan inflicted on Job, God graciously restored Job’s possessions (two-fold) and he had more children. So why all the pain in-between?
God brought me to the verses I quoted above. Knowing God is valuable – more valuable than Job (and Paul’s) wealth, health, or happiness. Sometimes being stripped of our “rubbish” in this life makes us appreciate and see Christ as the Treasure He is, it helps us get to know Him better. Suffering provides us with discernment between the Real vs. Artificial, Joy vs. Pleasure, Sun vs. Shadow, Value vs. Rubbish. When we truly know Jesus, we can conclude He is more – so much more – valuable than anything this world affords. This life is pale in comparison to the glory to come when we see clearly the beautiful face of Jesus and realize with pounding hearts we know exactly who He is…
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Filed under: Gospel, Reflections, Scripture on December 13th, 2008
I'm Kaysie, 22. Jesus follower. Lover of sunshine, trees, hot tea, books, music, family, the gospel, poetry and Barnes and Nobles. Has a weird obsession with paper. Over-analyzes almost everything. Adores simplicity. Lucky for you. 
Wow, I needed this, Kaysie. Thanks for reminding me that Jesus is SOOO much better then the things of the word! He is totally, “Surpassingly Valuable” to me, but sometimes I forget!
Hi Kaysie,
Just a quick note to let you know you’ve been awarded by me again!
It’s the You’re Fabulous award!
Blessings!
Julia
Arianna, I know what you mean… it is easy to forget WHO is supposed to be extremely valuable in our lives. I want to remember it more.
Julia, awww… thank you so much! That means a lot to me! Blessings to you too.
Wow…it’s amazing the kind of perspective God’s Word can give us if we only take the time to look for it! That is a beautiful passage. I love Philippians. Last year I must have read it 15 times….Several of my favorite passages are found in that book. Jesus truly is the most valuable thing in our lives…His gift of salvation and an ongoing relationship with Him is the most precious and priceless thing that can be acquired. I praise God for His example of Job. He was such a faithful believer in Christ, and though he was given so many difficult trials to go through, he kept perspective and was blessed for it.
I just had a chance to read over your last several blog posts. I was touched by “Listen to the Soft Cries”. My momma and I were just talking about this the other day. What kind of amazing or tragic stories lie in the eyes and hearts of the people around us? If we would simply take the time to gain trust and ask, there is possibility for incredible blessings on both sides of the conversation. Opening our eyes to see people as more than the things that we walk past…obstacles in the road of our lives, we could discover so many more opportunities to be the light that Christ wants us to be.
Thanks for the encouraging posts.
In His arms,
–Abigail
Abigail, God’s Word does indeed give us an eternal perspective! Ah yes, Philippians is an incredible book. I have found my comfort and strength among it’s chapters. I think Paul and Job had much in common, don’t you think? They both had this “eternal perspective” that equated Jesus and the most valuable and earthly substances as fleeting moments. I hope to gain more of this perspective.
“Listen to the Soft Cries” is really something I have been thinking about and working towards helping in my life. God gives us such an opportunity through people’s pain. I want to, as you said, be the light God desires me to be.
Thanks for your comment!