One of my favorite sermons as a young college student came from Philippians 3:7-8, where Paul wrote: “But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ.”

I spoke passionately about how we needed to count our plans, people, and possessions as “rubbish” compared to knowing Christ. I even had the audience write down the specific descriptions of things they valued, and then challenged them to bring that piece of paper forward to deposit the list in a trash can in front of the auditorium. I felt so inspired, and the sermon seemed to be truly effective.

In reality, my experience with the biblical text during those early years was very shallow. For many of us to say we have “suffered the loss of all things” is untruthful in our prosperous American society where everything is about upward mobility and accumulation of more stuff. I was young at the time, with the promise of the world in front of me – so I knew very little about “loss.” How could I really understand the depth of this passage? I was sincere, but shallow in my efforts to embrace and teach this passage.

Our good and loving God has a way of making truth real in our lives in order to make us more mature and authentic in our faith. Very often He teaches us best in the toughest of times. He has kindly helped me in this way, allowing me to understand a little more about “losses” and “gains” in my spiritual pilgrimage.

Our good and loving God has a way of making truth real in our lives in order to make us more mature and authentic in our faith. Very often He teaches us best in the toughest of times.

Possessions, People, and Plans

In 2007 our family experienced some fresh losses as a direct result of our obedience to the call of God on our lives during the same season of a national financial crisis. Because of our commitment to pursue full-time ministry with Strategic Renewal, we left the security of the senior pastor role and followed the Lord’s direction to launch out in faith. In the process, I had to give up my plans for the security and “success” of being a megachurch pastor.

We eventually sold our home in Minnesota (after two long years of double mortgage payments). This was an answer to prayer. But, along the way, we lost a lot of savings and all of our home equity. The reality of losing possessions for the sake of Christ was much more real during those days than it was in college.

Not long after that step, we lost the physical presence of all three of our children in our home as each one has followed the call of God to marriage, work, or school. This is a “gain” for each of them, and a blessing to Christ’s kingdom, but the void parents feel is very real in such seasons. We learned to count even our children as “loss” for the sake of Christ and His purposes.

In a variety of other ways, our obedience to the call of God has involved loss of status, security, friendships, and even sleep. Of course, our losses are miniscule when contrasted with eternity’s reward for obedient service. Compared to the painful “losses” others we know are experiencing right now, our sacrifice may seem trivial. I have friends who have lost a spouse, a career, all financial security, and even their health in recent years. Still, they love and serve Christ with the assurance that He is good, faithful, and trustworthy.

Trading Loss for Gain

Having said all of this, I am not whining – but I am seeking a deeper level of worship. In seasons of loss, self-pity and carnal regret can surface. We need to be reminded that a man’s life does not consist of the abundance of his possessions (Luke 12:15) and that we must be willing to leave all, take up our cross, and follow Christ to be classified as a true disciple (Luke 14:26-27).

In seasons of loss, self-pity and carnal regret can surface. We need to be reminded that a man’s life does not consist of the abundance of his possessions (Luke 12:15) and that we must be willing to leave all, take up our cross, and follow Christ to be classified as a true disciple (Luke 14:26-27).

Clearly, the trade-in is worth it – even though it is not easy. It is good to remember that with every loss, we can gain:

• A deeper knowledge of Christ, who was unencumbered by the trappings of this world. This knowledge is truly priceless (Philippians 3:7-8, 10).
• A mature and biblical perspective about the things that really matter in this life (Philippians 3:8).
• A powerful sense of Christ-reliance rather than self-reliance, where we discover the sufficiency of His work on the cross and His righteous life in us (Philippians 3:9).
• A new experience of the power of His resurrection, which brings new life out of death – and ultimate gain from our losses (Philippians 3:10).
• A fresh infusion of grace, that works most powerfully when we are weak (2 Corinthians 12:9-10).

Our losses in life are God’s way of prying our fingers off our comfortable idols in order to free our hands to more fully embrace Christ as our all in all.

Our losses in life are God’s way of prying our fingers off our comfortable idols in order to free our hands to more fully embrace Christ as our all in all.

The Positive Pathway of Price

The challenge we face in today’s world is that we can actually prefer the commonplace pathway of our easy idols in a materialistic society. This can be the “broad way” of our culture and a difficult thing to relinquish.

That is why we have to turn our eyes on Jesus – so that the things of earth might grow strangely dim. He is our model in all things. Even though He knew all the glories of Heaven and had authority over the riches of this world, He described His lifestyle as one where He did not even have a place to lay His head (Matthew 8:20). No single life has transformed this world more than our Lord’s, but His impact was completely unrelated to His net worth. It was directly connected to His selfless sacrifice.

No single life has transformed this world more than our Lord’s, but His impact was completely unrelated to His net worth. It was directly connected to His selfless sacrifice.

In Philippians 3:7-8, Paul shows us how he was walking in the pathway of Christ. He counted all reliance on formal learning, social status, and notable accomplishments as “rubbish” or “dung.” The idea of “counting as loss” represents an accounting term and reflects a deliberate business transaction that rejects certain assets to gain something more valuable.

Although a brilliant, accomplished, and gifted leader in every respect, Paul always pursued the pathway of price. We read about the detailed losses he faced in 2 Corinthians 11:23-28. This list included a variety of dangers, life-threatening situations, and incredible traumas. This was all a testament of his resolve to be a “servant of Christ” – but in all of these situations, he received abundant grace and was securing a sure reward in eternity.

Your Ultimate Prize

Today, you may be facing loss. Consider the sacrificial example of Paul. Turn your eyes on Jesus. Open your heart to the incalculable “gains” of knowing Christ. No matter what, keep living for the ultimate prize of a life that really matters.

Copyright © 2020 Daniel Henderson. All rights reserved.