“Put no confidence in the flesh—though I myself have reasons for such confidence. If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more…

But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for Whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. I want to know Christ—

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me…

But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:3-14 (NIV)

Dear Lord Jesus,

You are the only One Who left everything of true worth, beauty and goodness. You came down from the heights of heaven into the messy darkness we created. We beheld You and did not recognize the One we demanded should care about our plight. We thought our plight was the sin around us. We did not see the sin in us. We were the ones who felled the beautiful world You created when we chose self over Your offer for relationship. 

 You chose faithfulness.  You gave us Your righteous merits to be our own. We reject the worthless to gain the Worthy! You are our Champion, Who didn’t grasp Your rights but grasped us instead. 

Jesus, You laid hold of me. Empty my hands so I can can lay hold of You. Speak an end to my futile desire to make myself presentable to a world that can never care, notice or approve. I want to pursue You all the days of my life. You are worthy of my life.  You made me Your joy so I could know joy. “This is the Joy that will be to all people, a Savior has been born.” [Luke 2:11] You came down and my life began. 

In Jesus Name Forever