A lot of people in ministry are looking for love in all the wrong places (please excuse the poor humor) in other words looking for joy in all the wrong places. As pastors and leaders, we want to find it in building, buddies, bodies and bucks; cash, crowds, compliments, clothes and cars; people, peers, power, property and pews (okay its 5am in the morning and I'm sitting in the airport what else can a preach do too pass time other than play with words). Yet we do this in vain. We won't find joy, love or satifaction in any of these.
Paul talks about this in his letter to the Philippians. He said: "But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish that I may gain Christ." (Phil. 3:7-8 NIV)
Paul was joyful despite being imprisoned as he is writing this letter.
What shouts me is the phrase, "I consider [it all] rubbish that I may gain Christ." The translators were being polite. The word isn't rubbish it's dung, manure, its "ish" (okay a little bit too far). He's not mincing words. Paul says that everything we have is worthless garbage without JESUS!
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