We put no confidence in human effort, though I could have confidence in my own effort if anyone could. Indeed, if others have reason for confidence in their own efforts, I have even more! I was circumcised when I was eight days old. I am a pure-blooded citizen of Israel and a member of the tribe of Benjamin—a real Hebrew if there ever was one! I was a member of the Pharisees, who demand the strictest obedience to the Jewish law. I was so zealous that I harshly persecuted the church. And as for righteousness, I obeyed the law without fault. I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ.

Philippians 3: 3-8

Over the last few months, I’ve had dinner with an older man who talks mostly about his success in building a successful team in his career. I can’t remember hearing him talk about much else. His former career appears to be his primary identity.

In the passage above, we learn about what was important to Paul. The apostle is perhaps the greatest example of a man who left a life of religion to discover the true faith found in a relationship with Christ.

He was born in the right family. His upbringing was to be envied. He attended the best schools and studied under some of the great teachers of his day. He was a rising star in his profession, but he considered all of it useless. His family, education, and position in society were meaningless.

So was he a success?

In the third chapter of Philippians, Paul tells us a little about himself. From the perspective of those in his culture, he had it all. From birth, he had followed the path to success, but his encounter with Christ changed everything.

“For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage”

How do you define success? Career? Education? Family? Position or Power? Having enough money? It’s easy for the American Dream to twist the truth as to what is really important, isn’t it? How easy is it to put our worth into some of the things listed above or maybe even something else?

Paul went on to say that there is only one purpose in his life – “But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13-14).

Ask yourself a difficult question. Can you say in your heart that gaining Christ through faith is your ultimate source of success?