“Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ.” Philippians 3:8 NLT
If you want the real thing, be prepared to pay the real price. There is no shortcut to transformation and no discount on destiny. When Paul wrote those words to the church in Philippi, he wasn’t theorizing about change. He had lived it. He had walked away from status, power, and prestige. He gave up the applause of men to chase the approval of God. And he said with no hesitation, “Everything else is garbage compared to knowing Christ.” That’s the voice of someone who counted the cost and still said yes.
One half of knowing what you want is knowing what you must give up before you get it. In other words, you can’t step into the new while dragging all the weight of the old. Change has a cost and if it doesn’t cost you anything, it’s probably not real change. It may just be cosmetic, a cover up, a mask, but not real change. Paul knew this. That’s why he said, “I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death.” He wasn’t just after blessings, he was after union, after depth. He wanted to be conformed, not just informed. And to do that, he had to lay some things down. So do you.
You say you want a new life. You want clarity, healing, peace, discipline, purpose, and freedom. But here’s the question you must face with holy honesty: What are you willing to give up to gain it? Are you ready to release the identity that was built around pain? Are you willing to let go of convenience so you can develop consistency? Are you ready to turn off the noise so you can finally hear God clearly? Are you willing to say no to the good so you can say yes to the greater? Because there is always a trade-off.
Some changes will cost you relationships, others will cost you routines. Some will ask you to walk away from comfort and step into calling. But the reward is greater than the release. What you’re reaching for is Christ Himself, and once you’ve tasted that kind of glory, everything else starts to look like trash. Paul said it plainly. “I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me.” That’s not passive language, that’s pursuit and grit. That’s someone who has resolved in their spirit that whatever it takes, however long it takes, they are going after everything God has for them.
So, again… How badly do you want to change? Because if you truly want it, you can have it. But you will have to let some things go to lay hold of the greater
titsay
theartofmadeline
jbbartram-illu
turnnoffyourmind
