SOMETHING WORTH LIVING FOR

Phil. 3:7-9 I once thought all these things were so very important, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the priceless gain of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I may have Christ and become one with him. I no longer count on my own goodness or my ability to obey God's law, but I trust Christ to save me. For God's way of making us right with himself depends on faith.

Take a moment and think about those things in life that you value the most. What makes life worth the living for you? What do you work for? What in life do you deem to be important enough for you that you are willing to make whatever sacrifices you need to make in order to have it? Do you have a list in mind? It may be a very short list, or it could be a long one, but everyone has something in life they deem important enough to live for. When we lose sight of life's purpose, what is the point of living?

In our text today we are challenged to rethink our list. The Apostle Paul had climbed the ladder of success. He had achieved what his heart had longed for. He had the respect of his peers and was looked to for getting done what was deemed to be the most important task on earth, getting rid of the Christians. Paul was good at it. He was feared wherever he went. And then, he met Jesus. His encounter forever changed his life and all that he deemed worth living for. Paul quickly learned that everything was worthless when seen in the light of Jesus. It was all garbage---all the fame, fortune, respect of his peers, everything.

There is nothing in life worth more of our time, energy, or ambitions than Jesus. He alone is worth living for. In Jesus alone do we find hope and a reason to live. He alone fills the empty void of the heart. He alone saves us from sin's death grip. He alone is worth giving up our lives for.

If Jesus is not on the top of your list, your life is out of balance. You need to get your priorities straight today. What value is there in having everything you want in life if you don't have Jesus? He will not play second fiddle in your life. He either is your purpose for living or He isn't. You can't value anything else more than the Lord and still be in good standing with Him. He will not share His place in your heart with anyone or anything else.

Is Jesus more important to you than anything else in life? If not, you need to seriously get your priorities straight right now while you can.