Bible Verse: But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. Philippians 3:7
Scripture Reading: Philippians 3:1-14
I heard a story once where a Christian leader shared about his experience as he helped at a banquet as a server.
As he attended to the needs of his table, one of the attendees began to be rude and belittle him. Being human, his initial thoughts towards this man were to defend himself.
“Excuse me. But I have a degree in…”
“Don’t you know that I lead an organization the size of…”
“I am not a server, but a…”
And so on.
But as a Christian, his response toward this individual was:
“Let me take care of that for you…”
Education is a powerful and good thing. It allows us to pursue knowledge and opportunities that we couldn’t without it.
But one thing our degrees should never get in front of is us knowing Jesus.
In Philippians 3, Paul writes about his education:
“…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.” (Philippians 3:5-6, NIV)
In his day, Paul had an education that many would have been jealous of. And yet he came to learn what really mattered:
“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.” (Philippians 3:7-8, NIV)
Too often, we let our degrees (or lack of one) define us.
Me? I have a BA in Youth Ministry. Over the years, it has been a helpful thing. But I am no longer a youth pastor. You see, just because I have that degree doesn’t mean it defines me.
I am instead defined by who God wants me to be.
Prayer: Jesus, thank You that You know who I am. And thank You for the educational road You have brought me on. May I always see my identity in You rather than in my degrees. Amen.
Reflection: What accolade have you defined yourself through? Is it time to surrender that and let God define who you are instead?
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