No Longer Important!

Read: Philippians 3:3-10

Some things that once were essential tools are no longer useful. For example, does anyone use dial-up anymore? I can hear the sound of everything cranking up as we waited to be connected. Or what about whiteout? That was a part of every-day life for my husband and I when we lived in Arkansas. I used to type his client reports, and the only available avenue we had to correct typing errors--I had many--was to use whiteout. It seemed that the harder I tried to type perfectly, the more mistakes I made. Then out came that wonderful whiteout to fix the errors. Thankfully, that sticky fluid in the little bottle kept us from having to start each report over again each time I made a mistake. Yet, how elated I was when some brilliant person invented the typewriter that had the delete key, and I wouldn't go back to whiteout for love nor money.

No, that wasn't an earth-shattering discovery for me, but when we meet Paul today, we see that when God showed him what was truly important and what wasn't, his life did a 180. He learned about Someone infinitely more precious than any new tool that renders the old one obsolete. In today's scripture reading in Philippians 3:3-10, we are reminded that Paul's assessment about what was valuable had radically changed. After his encounter with the risen Jesus on the road to Damascus, Paul's life was turned upside down. He had been a man on a mission, Acts 9:1-5. A persecutor of Christians. He was proud of it having believed that his actions honored God. He had a heritage and pedigree that he could boast about. After all, he was a Pharisee. One who studied the law and believed that he kept it scrupulously. He was a man whose family saw to it that he was circumcised on the appropriate day. We are told in another place in scripture that Paul had studied under a very famous rabbi, Gamaliel, Acts 22:1-3. What a storied man Paul was. According to the flesh. At least, that was until Jesus turned his life around and showed him the truth about self-righteousness.

I love the picture Paul gave us. What had been so important was now like trash or dung to him. Why? Because he now saw the necessity and the beauty of receiving the righteousness of Jesus instead of relying on any of his own accomplishments. It then became clear to him that he was vehemently opposing the One Who held out the forgiveness and cleansing that he needed. Yes, he truly became aware that everything he had relied on was like a broken bridge. Unable to carry him to God unless he emptied his hands and held them out to Jesus. Imagine this proud man and what it was like for him when God showed him the uselessness of all that he had counted so dear. This one who called himself a Hebrew of Hebrews had his eyes opened by the One Whom he had been fighting against. The Messiah for Whom his people had waited. Paul changed from focusing on his own self-worth to wanting to know Jesus and His resurrection power, and wanting to share in Jesus' suffering, Philippians 3:10. Such a different mission than the one he had prior to meeting the Lord.

How about those of us who belong to Jesus? We have no reason to boast about anything because like Paul, we also were relying upon a broken bridge before Jesus rescued us. Oh yes, there might have been noteworthy things in our lives before Jesus introduced Himself to us, but they were worthless and could not save us. No wonder it is said that the ground is level at the foot of the cross. What a Savior we have Who saves us through His own power. To Him be the glory because He alone showed us what was truly important, Galatians 6:14.