Finally, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord! To write this again is no trouble to me, and it is a safeguard for you. Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of those who mutilate the flesh! For we are the circumcision, the ones who worship by the Spirit of God, exult in Christ Jesus, and do not rely on human credentials – though mine too are significant. If someone thinks he has good reasons to put confidence in human credentials, I have more: I was circumcised on the eighth day, from the people of Israel and the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews. I lived according to the law as a Pharisee. In my zeal for God I persecuted the church. According to the righteousness stipulated in the law I was blameless. But these assets I have come to regard as liabilities because of Christ. 8More than that, I now regard all things as liabilities compared to the far greater value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things– indeed, I regard them as dung!– that I may gain Christ, and be found in him, not because I have my own righteousness derived from the law, but because I have the righteousness that comes by way of Christ's faithfulness– a righteousness from God that is in fact based on Christ's faithfulness. (Philippians 3:1-9 NET)Paul had a lot going for him; assets from the perspective of man. He had the right family background the right education, social status, religious and political position, an impeccable resume.
But notice that Paul declares that all these things that man looks at as assets are really worthless and in fact a hindrance to life in Christ and serving Christ for His glory. Paul recognized that there is greater value, ability, and significance in Christ then in the greatest assets man could possibly possess himself.
God doesn’t need great social status, a sterling reputation, or great verbal eloquence to use a person for His purposes and glory. All God needs is a willing heart in His able hands and He can impact the world. Our assets in Christ and our potential to impact our world in Christ far surpass any natural human assets when we choose to find our identity and glory in Him.
When it comes to getting discouraged with ourselves, one of our biggest challenges is often in regard to how we look. Our world puts great emphasis on good looks and appearance. Just turn on your T.V. or walk the mall and you’ll quickly see it. The world around us says you have to look a certain way. It’s all about “looking good.” Cosmetic surgery is nearly epidemic. And even we believers buy into it, wasting money on the latest fashions and name brand clothing, getting this enlarged and that reduced. And in the midst of all this, God says:
Charm is deceitful and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the LORD will be praised. (Proverbs 31:30 NET)Physical assets of talent and beauty are superficial and fleeting. That’s why people have to keep buying new clothes and re-visit the plastic surgeon. It is a waste of effort, a discouraging pursuit, and a prescription for heartache when we try to impress others with our physical assets and talents. The praise, admiration or relationship gained through our good looks or giftedness is shallow, worthless, and destabilizing. We end up running from one fad to another, desperately trying to impress people.
What you gain by your looks or talents will have to be retained by your looks and talents and sooner or latter it doesn’t work. Everyone wants more in a person than good looks or talent. Everyone wants something deeper in a relationship. We want depth of character.
Don't be concerned about the outward beauty of fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes. You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God. (1 Peter 3:3-4 NLT)
And I want women to be modest in their appearance. They should wear decent and appropriate clothing and not draw attention to themselves by the way they fix their hair or by wearing gold or pearls or expensive clothes. For women who claim to be devoted to God should make themselves attractive by the good things they do. (1 Timothy 2:9-10 NLT)Pursuing acceptance and trying to impress others with the way you look will mean a lifetime of tireless effort, frustration, disappointment, and discouragement. And, it is ungodly. And the answer is repentance and choosing to value what God values.
Rather than waste our energies and sinning, trying to impress others with the way we look, we need to invest our energies into pursuing Godly character which will build meaningful, deep, lasting, God honoring relationships. This is the path to victory over discouragement.
Next: (5) Accept Help
No comments:
Post a Comment