“Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.” Philippians 3:8

This verse has always had an impact on me, each time that I read it and the chapter simply declares the greatness of Christ and opens another window into Paul’s heart. He had so much in terms of religious clout and he had put so much time into seeing that he served God and yet all that he had put into his religion was worthless. He did not have political, social, or physical accomplishments but they were somewhat in the right direction. He takes all of it and throws it away, he tosses it out the window, never to touch it again. When someone invests so much in something, he values it. The amount of resources that he puts into it is a clear indicator to how much worth he places in it. So then, when all of that is treated as dung, the only explanation is that something replaced it. Something that far exceeds the value must have stepped in. And such was the case with Paul.

The word that stood out to me was “worth.” Paul made a judgment of value and concluded that knowing Jesus Christ far exceeded anything else. Nothing stands in comparison to having a personal relationship with the second person of the Godhead. For Paul, this simply was not just a feel good statement that he would sing in a song and put on a bumper sticker, but this was the undergirding principle of his life. Jesus Christ was so valuable to him that it influenced every decision that he made. His heart held nothing of greater importance, greater value, or greater worth than Christ.

This driving love of his heart explains his life. Why did he put himself in a position to be mocked and ridiculed? because Christ was worth it. Why was he beaten and left for dead? because Christ was worth it. Why would he lose sleep, forgo meals, walk thousands of miles, and be imprisoned? because Jesus Christ was worth – He was everything to Paul.

The church of the 21st century must see Christ as having value that is so much more than all that this world can offer. We need men and women who will take risks and live differently than the world around them – all because Christ is worth it.