Rubbish… or Worse

“I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death…” - Philippians 3:10

Our church is in Paul’s letter to the Philippians. Recently, while dwelling in the word in Acts 16, (Paul’s vision and subsequent change of direction, plans and strategy) I was in awe of the love he had for this Community of Hope he started in Philippi. He is also clear in his call to a higher level of commitment to a life completely in, for and with Christ. He is moving from our agency to God’s and from Empire to Kingdom. I need to pay attention.

Philippians 3 is so well known. I have previously read the first part of the text and felt a level of pride that I can boast of a list like Paul’s.

“If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more:  circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee;  as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless.”

I was born into a Christian family. My grandmother was a church planter in Africa in the 1920’s and my grandfather a part of starting the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada and many other Christian endeavours. My dad was a well known Pastor, teacher and conference speaker. I never rebelled. I went to the best schools - Wheaton, Trinity, Fuller and had some of the most widely recognized teachers. I worked hard and started several Christian organizations and churches and developed networks of some of the most well known thinkers, writers and teachers around. Everything I did seemed to be for Christ and His Kingdom.

And then we get to verse 7. “But……. It is all rubbish. Or worse!”

Paul suggests a number of things that caught my attention. First, he suggests we pay attention to where we get our value. These things, (ways of measuring value) should be considered loss. Pause. Loss? I’m ok with less relevant, but loss? How is my list loss? It became clear. I have spent much of my life considering that these things will somehow make me more acceptable to the Lord, - that both He and others will be more pleased with me. Rubbish! My chasing after Empire has kept me from Kingdom. Education in itself is not bad, but it does have potential to lure me away from that which is most important. It can seduce me into putting all of my trust in something or someone less than what God intended.

Secondly, verse 8 takes a step further. Paul states that the value of such worldly things is in question, but also the possession of them needs to be relinquished. He has lost all things, for the sake of Christ. What does this mean? How do you get rid of your history? How do you put away your degrees or accomplishments? I know how to exegete the text as others do and I am aware of what many commentators say. I wanted more than an intellectual answer. As I began to reflect, I became aware of how I rely on my accomplishments and reputation, my education and my history to resolve an issue. I have a ways to go in relying on the agency of God.

I was dwelling in Exodus 16 with a group of leaders this morning. My attention was drawn to how Moses accomplished what he did. He was not incompetent, nor afraid to work hard. But everything he did was what the Lord had asked of him. He did what he heard God say. So much of what I have done over the years in leadership was and still is done out of the things I have picked up along the way. What would it take to have the boldness and confidence to do only what God asked?

Thirdly, and finally in this brief look at Philippians 3, Paul shares with us not just what we have to put down, but what we have to pick up. He has encouraged us to put down our thinking that the things of the world give us value, and then to literally put down the use of these things, and now he tells us to pick up faith in verse 9. This is not a wishful thinking for the future, but a very present action. It is taking the step of obedience in all areas of life. Our value and our fruitfulness come not from Empire but rather from Christ and His Kingdom. We receive and live in the righteousness of Christ.

There is much more in the text, but these three things have helped me to be reminded of the reality that I no longer live in the Empire, but as a citizen of His Kingdom.