Taking a Moment to Assess
“But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ” (Philippians 3:7-9).
At this time of year, we often assess. We assess the good and the bad of the year gone by. We assess the possibilities and opportunities of the new year ahead. We assess where we are and where we want to be. We assess what is gain and what is loss.
So, how goes this year’s assessment? Are things stacking up in your favor or does it feel like everything is stacking up against you?
- Where are you celebrating? Where are you mourning?
- Where have you seen gains? Where have you experienced loss?
- Where is God inviting you to take a step of faith? Where is God closing a door?
These are all important questions to consider. They are not meant to be another way of “beating” ourselves up for where we have fallen short. Instead, these opportunities, invite us to consider where the intersection of God’s grace and promises with our current situation.
Paul knew what it was like to assess the value, meaning, and purpose of life in general, as well as his words and actions in particular. Many commentators have noted that in Philippians 3:4-14 Paul can be seen assessing his past, his present, and his future. It was a moment in which Paul certainly recognized the deep regrets of how he had been living, and yet it was a moment in celebrating the amazing grace of God that had forever changed His outlook on life. When Jesus came into Paul’s life, there was a complete reassessment of everything he knew, believed, and practiced. It was such a great change in what he valued that he triumphantly proclaimed, “But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord” (Philippians 3:7-8). In Jesus Christ, Paul had stumbled upon the treasure hidden in a field and the pearl of great price. In Jesus, Paul found his true treasure, which changed how he evaluated everything else in his world. In Jesus, Paul had something of true value that the world could never take away.
Even some 2,000 years later we still have the same treasure of the gift of Christ Jesus our Lord in our lives. And we too have the same promise that He has forgiven our past, He is at work in our present, and He is leading us to a promised future. And it is for this reason that as you start to assess the conclusion of one year and the start of a new one, that we can first and foremost celebrate the gift of His grace that has forever changed our world and our lives. We can step into a new year with confidence because we know that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:13). And however this year’s assessment may turn out, we can join in celebrating with John Newton, the author of the famous hymn Amazing Grace, that “I am not what I ought to be. I am not what I want to be. I am not what I hope to be. But still, I am not what I used to be. And by the grace of God, I am what I am.”
May God bless you and yours in the new year, as we step forward in faith, knowing that there is nowhere that we can go that our Lord’s mercy and grace does not go with us.
God’s Peace,
Pastor Kurt Ebert
