Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Andy Gill

Home
Progressive Christian
It’s All About Jesus

It’s All About Jesus

Last updated on: September 13, 2013 at 12:02 am by Andy Gill

It’s All About Jesus 2013-09-13T00:02:48-05:00 Andy Gill

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

A friend asked me the other day, “What are my top 5 values…”

I stumbled over my answer and I think I gave her three, and I don’t even remember what those were, so I’m pretty sure that means they aren’t really in my top 5 values. But it got me thinking about Paul, particularly in Philippians, the famous, “cursing verse,” where he says,

“I consider everything a loss… I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ.” (Philippians 3:8)

Paul here is in a way giving us his list of values… He’s saying, “I value Jesus, thats it. Everything else in comparison is trash.” And we see this play out, through his life painted in the New Testament.

The question I have for myself, and hopefully you can find it useful also, is, “Do people see this same value for Jesus, that Paul had, play out in my own life?”

For me, I think what it comes down to, is where I’m at in relation to Jesus…

This is gonna hurt to type out but…

… I think in the recent days, I’ve been far more obsessed with success and my own personal well being than I have been with Jesus.

Dang.

I don’t think it’s about the clutter, or busyness that I find in my life, I think it’s more so about the clutter going on in my heart. Because to be honest – there’s always time, it’s just whether or not you value this relationship enough to make, or rather, set aside that time.

In Soren Kierkegaard’s book, Purity of Heart is to Will One Thing (as if the title wasn’t enough to speak to my situation) he goes on and says,

What is all that he knows, vast accumulation though it be, but a chipped fragment if he does not know Thee! What is all his striving, could it even encompass a world, but a half-finished work if he does not know Thee: Thee the One, who art one thing and who art all!

Jesus says it more plainly, “What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?”

It’s not about putting Jesus at the top of your list, so much as it’s about making Jesus the entirety of your list…

Everything you say or do, flows out from your relationship, value, and love for, with, and from Jesus… I know it’s simple, but in the end I guess all I’m saying is, it’s all about Jesus.

… and I don’t mean that in the “cliche, over said” type way, I mean it in the, “I’m literally willing to die for you” type way…

So I guess the question is the same, if you were to ask your friends, if they thought you were undeniably 100% all about Jesus, what do you think they’d say?

Previous Post

September 11, 2013

Wonder Lost

Next Post

September 16, 2013 Minimalist Christianity

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Book Reviews Books Buzzfeed Christian Church Church Culture Dating Dechurched eXvangelical Guest Post Humor Inspirational Justice LGBTQ Life Marriage Media Millennials Mini Post Monday Money Podcast Politics Race Reason Relationships Science Sex Socioeconomic Theology Theology Uncategorized Video Wednesday Youth Ministry

Select a Month June 2020 March 2020 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 January 2013 December 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

True or False: Joseph's brothers sold him to traders for thirty pieces of silver.

Select your answer to see how you score.

TRUE FALSE

Support this
Column