In Paul’s letter to the Philippians, Paul begins our chapter 3 with a warning about a certain group called Judaizers. These were Jewish Christians who attempted to bind the Law of Moses (especially circumcision), as a condition for salvation. Because of their fleshly heritage – being circumcised Jews, they thought they were God’s favorites.
Beginning in Philippians 3:4, Paul argues that if anyone has the right to have confidence in the flesh, he does. Then Paul begins to categorize the gains in his life. Essentially he was saying, if you want to start bragging about accomplishments, look at my resume!”
- He had all the advantages of being born into an elite Hebrew family.
- He received a top-notch education.
- He was zealous.
- He was dedicated to keeping the law.
Paul concluded his line of argumentation is found in verse 7: All of the gains that he had experienced in his past life were racked up as a loss. We don’t know all of Paul’s losses, but they were significant.
Were family relationships strained? Highly probable.
Did he lose his source of income? We know that he went from studying under a prestigious doctor of the law to being a tent-making preacher, who often went without.
Was he jeered at when he went down the street? Was he spat upon by former friends? We know that mobs of his own countrymen wanted to kill him. We also know that he was beaten and spent time in prison on multiple occasions.
Paul’s confidence was not placed in his position, education, wealth, earthly relationships, approval of peers, etc. In fact, he said all these things had the value of refuse – that’s right, human waste, compared to the privilege of knowing Christ.
Paul understood his WHY! Paul kept things in perspective.
We have a challenge to keep things in perspective.
Our confidence is not in our family tree.
The Pharisees were well known for bragging about “our father, Abraham”, but it did them no good. Abraham’s righteousness could not be applied to someone else.
Just because I come from a long line of Christians that goes back three or four generations does not automatically mean that I am in favor with Christ. Neither will my Christianity automatically pass to my children or grandchildren , like my DNA.
Our confidence is not in education.
Some parents decide to enroll their children in certain school districts that will give their children the best educational advantage. Others enroll their children in private school. There are an increasingly number of parents who have chosen to educate their children via homeschooling.
Should academics be our number one goal when deciding about our children’s education? No. While that might be a consideration, it should not be our WHY. In fact, we may need to make a decision that puts them at a disadvantage, from a purely academic standpoint, in order to prioritize their spiritual education.
WHY? The answer is found in 1 Peter 1:3 -5. The most important thing in this world is obtaining God’s mercy and grace; redemption from our sins so that we can have a living hope. How very important it is to use those few formative years we have with our children to teach them about Jesus, so that one day, they will desire that living hope.
Through the years, parents pour out heart and soul into the education of their children. Yes, most parents really do want what is best for their children. However, if we are not careful, we will lose sight of our why.
It is so easy to develop the world’s mindset that obtaining an academically superior education is THE goal. Get the best education, because then you can get a great job, which will provide lots of money, which will allow you to live a prosperous life. If this is the primary goal, then we have missed the mark.
Yes, education is valuable and even necessary, but it is a merely a tool to use as we work towards THE goal.
Our confidence should not be placed in “doing Bible-related activities.”
The Pharisees were quite the experts at “doing” the law, or so they thought. They focused on the outward demonstrations of religion, but they missed the boat.
Jesus told them that while it was good that they did those things, they left out the weightier things, like justice, mercy, and faith.
Paul was quite good at keeping the various particulars of the law, but then he learned that simply doing all of the things could never produce righteousness within him.
We can be zealous all the day long about doing this or that spiritual activity, but simply doing those things does not make us spiritual people.
It is possible that, although we have the very best intentions, we inadvertently encourage our children to place their confidence in their own accomplishments and grow prideful hearts in the process, rather than developing humble hearts with confidence placed in Jesus.
Where have you placed your confidence?
In what, or in whom, are you encouraging your children to place their confidence?
“In you, O Lord, I put my trust, Let me never be ashamed; Deliver me in Your righteousness. Bow down Your ear to me, deliver me speedily; be my rock of refuge, a fortress to save me. For You are my rock and my fortress; therefore, for Your name’s sake, lead me and guide me.” Psalm 31:1-3
