Read Philippians 3

I grew up with two sisters and we were constantly fighting and picking on each other as siblings often do, which drove our Mother to often say to us, “Behave yourselves and ‘be good’!” Being good was not agitating our mother. But what does that statement really mean? Being good.

As we grow older, the need to be good is continually reinforced. We justify ourselves with how good we are, whether it’s as an employee, spouse or person. The way we describe each other confirms it.

“He’s such a good person.”

“She has a good heart.”

“Your such a good employee.”

At the beginning of Philippians 3, Paul points out the flaws in this kind of thinking. If we’re chasing goodness, we’re chasing a moving target.

If anyone reading Paul’s letter thought he or she was a good person, Paul was better. He was raised in the right family, went to the right schools and followed the right path. But he says all of these things were garbage compared to knowing Jesus (Philippians 3:8). Wow – that is a pretty strong statement coming from a man known as a “Hebrew of Hebrews.”[1]

That’s because knowing Jesus isn’t about meeting a standard but following a person. The relationship Paul had with Jesus was more fulfilling than all the religious accomplishments of his past. Paul still did good things but not because he was trying to be good. Instead, Paul’s good deeds were an overflow of the love He experienced from Jesus. The same is true for us. When we put Jesus above everything else in our lives, we end up doing good things not because we have to, but because we want to.

I love seeing our kiddos serve in our church such as helping with the food pantry by coming in on their school vacation to help bag rice and beans (pre-Covid) or a youth-led Sunday where our kiddos take on one of the adult roles with the services. They do it because they love serving with each other and making a difference for Christ’s kingdom.

After writing that everything in his life is worthless compared to knowing Jesus, Paul goes on to say he hasn’t lived up to Jesus’ example yet. Paul wasn’t perfect, but “forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,” he continued his whole-hearted pursuit of Jesus (Philippians 3:12-14). Like Paul, many of us need to give up trying to be good enough and run to the One who is enough.

Reflect:

Is Jesus first in your life? If not, what is? Is it worth it?
What do you value above Jesus right now? What can you do differently?

Prayer:

Father God, You are the definition of “good.” It is not just what you do but who You are and that NEVER changes. Help me to strive toward being more like Jesus and put Him first in my life. I want to pursue Him in all that I am and do. I pray that I can better serve You in precious name of Jesus – Amen.

[Excerpts taken from Philippians: A 4-Day Devotional by NewSpring Church

https://newspring.cc/devotionals/philippians-a-4-day-devotional/how-to-find-moments-of-freedom-in-anxious-times]

[1] Marg Mowczko, “Paul’s Hebrew Heritage – PHILIPPIANS 3:4-8,” Marg Mowczko, Exploring the Biblical Theology of Christian Egalitarianism, May 2010.

https://margmowczko.com/philippians-3_4-8/