"But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, 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 and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow to attain to the resurrection from the dead.
"Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."
Philippians 3:7-14
I have never really liked the idea of a "life verse," wondering how an entire life can be summed up in a single verse; lives are rather complex, and there are a multitude of verses a person could choose. However, this verse has been my companion for several years, my most repeated prayer, and the deepest longing of my heart. Thank you Mrs. Legband, my senior English teacher, for exposing me to the richness of this verse.
What an honest testimony and prayer Paul writes in this passage. The first paragraph is simply chock-full of phrases deserving of my meditation: "whatever," "surpassing greatness," "lost all things," "consider them rubbish," "be found in him," "know Christ," "fellowship of sharing in his sufferings," and "becoming like him in his death," to name a few. I love that "considering everything a loss" is a reality for Paul. How I wish that the same to be true of me!
The second paragraph is closer to the reality of my life, i.e. constant reminders that I have not "already obtained all this." Indeed, lack of perfection resonates with me, making the truth of "not having a righteousness of my own...but that which is through faith in Christ" all the more beautiful. Thank you Lord for covering me with your righteousness when I daily fail to count all things as loss.
Though I'm still unsure of claiming a "life verse," this passage is the closest I come to such a statement. Its words have utterly transformed me as I seek to make the "loss for gain" transaction come to fruition in my own life.
