Living a life that Matters

But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead. Philippians 3:7-11 (NIV)

My good friend Jeff Gokee ended his sermon with this passage at PhoenixOne tonight. He was asking us if we were going to be like the young rich ruler or Zacchaeus during this season of advent. We are a wealthy country and many of us choose not to give sacrificially. The rich young man walked away in sadness, but Zacchaeus gave his life to Christ. For me, God has me in this wonderful place of humility that I just want to give to others. So I see this passage as more than just money. I do have a tendency to be selfish in some areas of my ‘stuff’ and I justify that by the fact that I give money to many charities and organizations. So I can be picky and choosy of what I give. But lately, I have found myself giving of my time and my services to others. I have met so many young people lately through my church and many of them have expressed interest in getting to know me. I love sharing my life to them. I have also been better at inviting people to my home or making time for them at coffee shops or restaurants. Just being a part of a gospel centered family church and how we can be a blessing to each other has really transformed my heart. I am so appreciative of what others have done for me that I want to be the same blessing to them. This process of dying to my old self has been a difficult process for me, but to live a vicariously life for Christ has brought great joy to my life and shown me a better way of living. The key for me is to be led by the Spirit in repentence day in and day out and that’s where I’m thankful to God for community.