[surpassing worth.]

I am so incredibly thankful for the Word.
We are so undeserving of such a gift- to be convicted by it, to grow by it, but more importantly, to know the Lord by it-- to come to a better understanding of the cross by it, to see our lives as they really are, to realize how deprived we are and how incredibly much more we NEED Him...
I am so thankful for verses that bring my thinking back to level ground, verses that I may have read a hundred times before, but that on a certain day, the Holy Spirit may use to affect my heart in a whole new way...verses like Phil. 3:8a :

"Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord..."

I think the phrase that really stood out to me was "surpassing worth".

How often do I think of, and consider knowing Christ as my Savior of the utmost, all-surpassing worth in my life?? How often do I put much more worth into things in my life that will only pass away? How much do we dwell on things in our lives that have no bearing there anyway? I know I do, all too often. I worry, I'm anxious, I over-think, I do not rely on Christ's providence as I should. We should consider our relationship with Christ of so much worth that everything else in our life fades completely in comparison.
Really, the mere fact that we have the Word is crazy!! We don't even deserve THAT much, but instead, we're allowed to read it, study it, and therefore to come to a saving knowledge of Christ Himself!!! We can come to a better understanding of Him, and Him crucified-- what He did for us on the cross because of it, and THAT is where all worth in our lives should be placed! In knowing Him and what He did for us on the cross.

The passage in Philippians continues on:
"for His sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ, 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..." !!

I have not necessarily suffered for Christ to this day, but I most certainly pray that my heart's treasure is the treasure found in Christ and knowing Him as my Savior-- all else is rubbish and will pass away! (Matt. 6:19-21)