Thursday, August 29, 2013

By: Rachelle Hitt Bilbo

Heroes of the Bible Series

Day 8: Paul

Does it REALLY Matter?

Philippians 3:8  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.

My husband and I recently had the wonderful opportunity of meeting with a couple whose wedding he will be officiating.  As we asked them questions of how they wanted their special day to go, the bride's answer was consistently, "Whatever is simplest."  Unlike most brides, she was not concerned about her dress, decorations, her hair... she cared about one thing... the actual MARRIAGE.

The couple expressed that they didn't want to stress over a big fancy wedding.  Instead, they wanted to focus on their lives together.

There is nothing wrong with a large, extensively planned out wedding. However, if it becomes more about an event and less about love or if it causes dissension before the marriage even begins, there IS a problem.

The Apostle Paul had the same approach to his relationship with God as this couple had about their wedding. In today's verse, he declares that there is NOTHING more important than knowing Jesus Christ. He went on to say that he counts everything else as "rubbish."

Paul was a man of intense FOCUS. He planted numerous churches, penned 13 books of the New Testament, and relentlessly preached The Gospel. Paul was beaten, imprisoned, and mocked because of his faith, but he never loss focus of what really mattered... the UNION between him and Jesus Christ.

In Acts 9:15, the Lord declares this of Paul, "...he is a chosen instrument of mine to CARRY MY NAME before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel."

Just as a woman inherits her husband's name in marriage, we are all called the "bride" of Christ. We are to carry HIS name... to be a representation of Him.

My question for you today is... Which have you focused more on...your UNION with Christ or the many distractions of life? Have you invested more time into the "preparations" and less time on the actual "marriage"?

Paul, a definite hero of faith, made one of the greatest impacts on Christianity next to Jesus Christ. What makes him such a powerful example is that his life was driven first and foremost by his passion and love for Christ.

I challenge you today to evaluate your life and determine where your focus lies. Is it on His purpose for you or on all the "other" stuff which really doesn't matter?

Dear Lord, Help me to ALWAYS put my focus and energy on You, and Your purpose for my life.