ew people in history have accomplished anything even close to as influential as what the Apostle Paul accomplished in his life. It is fair to say he literally changed the world. This is the man who wrote half of the New Testament and started over a dozen churches in cities across the Middle East, Europe, and Asia. Because of his conviction, faith, and leadership, the early church lunged outward from Jerusalem toward Gentiles of all kinds, ultimately transforming the entire Roman empire and sending powerful waves of Christian influence across the world--for thousands of years! This is called a very fruitful life. :)

How did he do all this? What was his motivation? Just knowing Jesus. 

Compared to knowing Jesus, all of Paul's previous ambitions and accomplishments as he rose through the highest ranks of first-century Jewish culture were like garbage to him. Listen to this:‍

“But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him...” ~Philippians 3:7-9

Are you aware of anything worth this much in your life?

In Paul, we catch a glimpse of the inestimable worth of knowing Jesus as the source and motivation for...everything. The way he talks about Jesus makes me want to know Him like that, too. Even at the end of a very productive life, Jesus was still Paul's greatest treasure. This is pretty remarkable when you think about it.

Knowing Jesus is True North as we pick our motivations in life.

The way forward for doing anything in life is above all, to know Jesus--being in a personal relationship with Him. He Himself is the beginning and end of all meaning and life. Anything we do as a response to Jesus Himself is a hopeful endeavor.

My Prayer

Lord, open my eyes to see how valuable you really are! I trust Paul’s perspective more than my own. I want to know you like that! Amen.