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Change Your Goal – What happened after Paul ‘Arrived’ in society

“…rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh, though I also might have confidence in the flesh. If  anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so” (Philippians 3:3-4).

So Paul has a list of qualifications that were admirable. It made him somebody. Let’s see what they were.

“circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee” (v 5).

In other words, he belonged to a privileged group which set him a part as a high ranking Hebrew, which meant he was looked up to and respected.

“concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless” (v 6).

He was known for his zeal, which meant persecuting this new faction that was concerning the Jews at the time. Paul was respected and considered blameless being the ‘righteous’ one, better than the others, according to their ranking. He had clout and was the head and not the tail in society.

In other words, Paul had arrived. He had quite the list of credentials, but he gave it all up. Why? Because after God got a hold of him, he finally realized he was pursuing the wrong goal. What he had so carefully regarded before, became garbage in his eyes.

“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 who I have suffered the loss of all tings, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ”  (v 7-8).

So this was Paul’s new goal. He was willing to give up everything to pursue and attain the excellence of the knowledge of Jesus Christ. In other words, he wanted to gain Christ. This meant so much to Paul that he would forsake everything he had before, counting it as garbage in comparison. What else was he pursuing?

“and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith: that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if by any means I may attain to the resurrection from the dead” (v 9-10).

He was exchanging his respectable position in society, and the pride of his own righteousness for the wild ride of knowing and loving Jesus Christ. He was pursuing knowing God by faith and the power of the resurrection which would lead him down to the fellowship of Christ’s sufferings, conform him to his death than to be resurrected from the dead. Paul wanted that and he was willing to give up all previous goals for it.

“Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus, has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (v 12-14).

Paul pressed on towards his goal of knowing Jesus Christ. It consumed him. He had a single focus, a single goal with all else falling underneath that. He even wanted to forget everything behind him as he reached out for the goal for the prize of the upward call of God. Onward and upward, deeper in to that wild love, peace and joy that is Christ. Higher up in levels of faith, of seeing His beauty, of the joy of a bright eternity. Paul gave up his life as he knew it, to gain a greater life in its place. In other words, he didn’t have expectations for an ideal life anymore. That ideal rested all in Christ.

So, what did that mean for Paul? Let’s take a look at the life he got after he changed his goals.

“…in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often. From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often in cold and nakedness” (2 Cor. 11:23a-27).

Paul exchanged all that he had valued before, for the above trials. He was willing to go on any route God would take him so that he could press on to the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Jesus Christ for his glory. Why? Because Jesus was worth it. His glory was worth it, and what was to come in God’s glorious kingdom was worth it.

What about you? How far are you willing to go? What if God calls you to suffer because He knows you will gain a deeper level of that richness of Christ?  Would you want that more than anything else, even your ideal life? If you do, and you are still hanging onto your shattered dreams with a tight fist, open your hand up and give your dreams to God. Change your goal from just getting out of the trial, to glorifying God. When you do this, the rest will follow, because God will walk with you and carry you as He is accomplishing His purposes.

See the mountain of God’s goodness behind the hill of your troubles. Think like God does to the glory beyond, that there is a reason for all the disappointments, hardships and suffering we are experiencing here on this earth. Look up and see Jesus and let His presence fill you with that hope. Because this life is not all there is, and His paths are leading you to His eternal glory. And just like he promised, all His goodness and mercy shall follow you all the days of your lives, even through your trials. He is that big and wonderful.

“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13).