By Pastor Steve Nickodemus
Jesus is Everything to Me!
“But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.” Philippians 3:7 English Standard Version
We are so proud of our grandson, Noah, who just graduated from high school and is off to college in Florida! He has achieved many honors and awards and is excited about his future plans of success in school and business.
Saint Paul had been very proud of his accomplishments as a renowned and successful Pharisee and Biblical scholar. He was very proud of his accomplishments until he met Jesus. When Jesus met him on the road to Damascus, Paul’s whole life and way of looking at success changed completely. He had been focused on his good works and zealousness for obeying the Law. After meeting Jesus all that success became worthless in his eyes! To know Jesus meant everything to him!
To know Jesus as Lord, to know his grace and his mercy, his love and compassion, the peace in realizing that Jesus had paid for all his sins and had reconciled him with God, this completely eclipsed all that had gone on before in Paul’s life. Now all that mattered to Paul was to follow Jesus, to know him intimately, and to bring others into relationship with him. He considered all that had come before as worse than garbage in comparison to knowing Jesus!
What about you? What is important in your life? Do you consider your academic and social and financial success the most important matters in your life? Or have you come to realize that to know Jesus, to know the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings, as the most important gains and riches and joy in life? To know Jesus makes all other things seem insignificant. Jesus is everything to me!
- “I’d rather have Jesus than silver or gold
- I’d rather be his than have riches untold
- I’d rather have Jesus than houses or land
- I’d rather be led by his nail-pierced hand
- Than to be the king of a vast domain
- And be held in sin’s dread sway
- I’d rather have Jesus than anything
- This world affords today.”
Copyright Family of Christ Lutheran Church Colorado Springs, Colorado
