Philippians 3:7-11 -- On Losing and Being Found

"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.
And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.
That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death.
If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.”
Philippians 3:7-11


Paul is amazing. Here he's talking about losing and winning, and how he lost everything that he thought he had at one point, because of Christ. I think this happens to us as well. God gives us challenges that seem amazingly devastating... like we're losing everything we care about, or part of our core being. And it is painful, and hard to understand. ... But perhaps, like Paul, when we are able to see the bigger picture, we'll see how worthless that lost path in life was to us, because we gained so much more than we ever lost.

I know I've experienced that in my life... and I love that Paul says that all of those things that he lost were "but dung," because compared to winning Christ, losing anything else pretty much seems that way. He's so hopeful here... showing all the amazing stuff that he has gained instead. ... Knowing someday even the parts of himself he's lost will be found in Christ, and knowing Christ personally... which makes up for all the things that we thought we knew before. :)

Because Paul was willing to lose everything for Christ, he actually gained everything... and looks forward to that resurrection day when we'll literally get our lives back. :)  I hope that we can feel the same way.  

It's hard sometimes... losing things. Friends, houses, jobs, freedom, loved ones, futures that we were pretty much planning on... our sense of self, our mental capacity, our health, or hair, or eyesight... so many things that we don't want to give up or lose.  Let's remember today that all of it, every drop, is dung compared to what Christ will give us... just compared to knowing him.  Every choice we make that brings us closer to him is an overall gain, no matter what it feels like we've lost. It's definitely not always fun... but as we focus on Christ, and talk to him about our lives, we'll learn more, and understand more, and be able to overcome even the greatest challenges.