Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith. 'Philippians 3: 8-9
Almost every day when I go to my mailbox there is a new piece of mail for a girl named Abigail. I don’t know how my address got attached to her name, but I do know that Abigail is most likely a high school senior because the mail she gets is from colleges inviting her to attend their campus. Multiple invitations have arrived, and that is just at the wrong address! I can’t imagine how much mail she gets at her own address. So many options! Abigail has a huge choice to make. How will she decide?
Like Abigail, every day you and I are bombarded with a myriad of options. A multitude of choices clamor for our attention and energy. From the food we eat to the money we spend, to the tasks on our calendar, we have decisions to make. All those choices create clutter, don’t they? School responsibilities, keeping up the home, the job, family obligations. So much demanding your attention and mine. In the midst of all that clamors for my attention, how do I know what the most important thing is? As I complete the tasks that take up my brain space how do I know that I am doing what matters most? How do I cut through the clutter?
Cutting through the clutter begins with clarifying your goal. What is the thing you want most? If we aren’t intentional, our goal becomes obscured by the chaos of everyday choices. We chose the urgent over the important. We chose what is right in front of us rather than the thing we long to move toward. I know that has been my experience. What about you?
The Apostle Paul clarified his goal and every choice lined up with it. He was willing to lay aside everything that distracted him from what he wanted most. His goal was to gain Christ and become one with Him. Wow! What a goal! Clarifying his goal cut through the clutter of his life and led him closer to Christ. Isn’t that what you want, Dear Friend? I know that it is what I want.
Cutting through the clutter continues by prioritizing your priority. That may sound a little strange, but here’s the thing. What we say we want and the choices we make don’t always line up, do they? Laying aside everything to gain more of Christ means that I make choices that demonstrate He is my priority.
Our culture is cluttered with choices. From the grocery shelves to our entertainment menus to education and employment options, we have a myriad of options. As I’ve spoken with friends who serve as missionaries in other nations they’ve described the difference between our loaded grocery shelves and the limited options in their countries. Whereas we may have ten choices for what brand of orange juice to buy, they have two, or one. If what you want most at the store is orange juice, does it really matter which brand you buy?
Prioritizing your priority is not really as complicated as we think. Our brains get overwhelmed with options. How do we cut through the clutter?We settle our brains by settling our hearts. When our heart is settled on what we really want our heart can guide our brain…if we choose to let it. Our brains often forget what our hearts want, true? The trick is to keep reminding your mind of the main thing. For Paul, the main thing was ever, always, only Christ.
Cutting through the clutter reprioritizes your perspective. Laying aside everything to become one with Him looks like making His priority my priority. His priority is always people.
What does it mean to me to become one with Christ? John the Baptist said, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” (John 3:30) When I am becoming one with Him then there will be more of Him in my interactions with people. The person I am interacting with has to become more important than me. There will be more of Him in my reactions, more of Him in my character. When there is more of me, my goal in relationships is my own comfort and my own advantage. What will make my life easier? What will make me happier? When it is more of Christ, my purpose in personal interactions is to express the love of Christ to the other person. How can they know Him more? How can I help them get closer to Christ? When there is more of Christ, the thing that matters most is the Gospel.
Laying aside everything to gain Christ and become one with Him means that what is important to Him has to become what is important to me. What was important to Jesus? The redemption of humanity. Jesus came to seek and save the lost, right? Becoming one with with Him means that the redemption of the person in front of me has to be the most important thing. Redemption is more than salvation. Redemption is healing and restoration of the body, the mind and the spirit. Redemption leads a person to Jesus and His cross…always.
Boy, I have a long way to go before I can say that I have “become one with Him.” How often self-focused goals clutter the Christ in me! I am not always aware of it until afterwards, but I want those moments to decrease. More of Him. Less of me.
Big life choices, like the one Abigail has to make about college, can see overwhelming. Even our everyday choices can clutter our brains and cloud our focus. Clarify your goal, Dear Friend. If it is to gain Christ and become one with Him, then prioritize your priority and let it reprioritize your perspective. Let’s lay aside everything to gain the One that really matters.
Key Thought: Cutting through the clutter starts with Christ.
A Scripture to Consider: For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him. Philippians 3:8
A YES Challenge: Prayerfully consider your calendar and task list. As you review how you are spending your time and energy invite God to show you what you may need to lay aside so that you may gain more of Him. Ask Him to show you your next step and then make plans to take it.
Prayer: Jesus, my calendar indicates that my life is full of many activities. I am often distracted from what my heart longs for. What I want most is to know You, to love You and to honor You. Help me to lay aside all that distracts me so that I can gain more of You. I don’t know how to become one with You, but I want it because You want it for me. Lead me in the laying aside. Guide me in the gaining more of You. Amen.
