"It matters a great deal who is going to win, but not at all who won"
Knowing 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. I consider them garbage,that I may gain Christ. Philippians 3:8I was once invited to lead a Bible Study for Indonesian badminton players at the All England Championships – despite the title, it is a world-wide tournament. I chose Philippians 3. We had a few language difficulties and when we came to this verse one of the players produced a wonderful visual aid.
She held up the bin (trash can) and said, “Compared to Jesus everything else is THIS”. It was a very powerful image that I always remember when I read this verse.
It is a challenge to all of us to keep life in perspective. So many things in life see so important at the time but in the light of eternity, they are trivial. They are the bin!
Of course, we need to keep a balance. Family, career etc are important and are the area in which we serve God. The old cliché warns us not to be so heavenly minded that we are of no earthly use. Paul exaggerates for effect.
Jim Elliot, a Christian martyr from the 1950s put it well when he said: “He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose”.
The verse should challenge our thinking.