Absolutely Worthless
Philippians 3:4-7 Even if I am able to trust in myself, still I don’t do it. If anyone else thinks they have a reason to trust in themselves, they should know that I have a greater reason for doing so. I was circumcised on the eighth day after my birth. I am from the people of Israel and the tribe of Benjamin. I am a true Jew, and so were my parents. The law was very important to me. That is why I became a Pharisee. I was so eager to defend my religion that I persecuted the church. And no one could find fault with the way I obeyed the Law of Moses. At one time all these things were important to me. But because of Christ, I decided that they are worth nothing.
A great part of what it means to grow up, to mature over the years, is to become less dependent on others and more self-dependent. And in part, that’s how it’s meant to me. But there’s a catch.
When our kids became adults, it was such a joy to see them become less reliant on us and more so on the things we’d taught them. Self-reliance. Great. So what’s the catch? Well, it goes something like this.
In your estimation of what you’re capable of, it’s easy to end up relying completely on your own abilities rather than God’s grace. Here’s how the Apostle Paul put it:
Philippians 3:4-7 Even if I am able to trust in myself, still I don’t do it. If anyone else thinks they have a reason to trust in themselves, they should know that I have a greater reason for doing so. I was circumcised on the eighth day after my birth. I am from the people of Israel and the tribe of Benjamin. I am a true Jew, and so were my parents. The law was very important to me. That is why I became a Pharisee. I was so eager to defend my religion that I persecuted the church. And no one could find fault with the way I obeyed the Law of Moses. At one time all these things were important to me. But because of Christ, I decided that they are worth nothing.
Paul really was quite someone. He followed all of God’s rules and in his self-reliance he thought he’d it made with God – until he met Jesus. That’s when he realised that his heritage, his ability to follow the rules, were completely worthless.
Don’t be self-reliant. Be grace-reliant.
That’s God’s Word. Fresh … for you … today.
Blessed by this devotion?
Share it with a friend!
Respond