Balancing the Soulbook- Profits and Losses Turned Upside Down

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 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 and is by faith. -Phillipians 3:7-9

This passage that is so familiar to me struck me as challenging today, because it is so transforming if we could only allow it to transform us. We would care more about gains for the kingdom, for our brother and sister than our own pocketbook or pride or hard-won credentials or stuff or awards. It would be more important to be doing the God's will. Last night Jennifer talked about 'limits,' something from Physics I guess. But I think it applies here. The percent error changes when God enters the comparison, and then the difference between the gain and loss is huge! We gain EVERYTHING with Christ... so that anything else pales in comparison. Wealth, power, fame... it's all a loss compared to the gain that we gain through faith in Christ.

Rich and poor have this in common:
The LORD is the Maker of them all. -Proverbs 22: 2, 4

We have now entered the age of illusion that the US is a classless society. Of course, it is different than the way in which it manifests itself in other places of the world, but the class system in the US is certainly alive and kicking. You can see it in the neighborhoods, the school systems, the infrastructure in certain areas, the certain people that run in certain circles. How often do you hang out with someone from a different social class? (Not in some kind of service project or another.) The civil rights movement argued that 'separate is not equal,' and I have to admit that I worry about Christians... the fact that we separate ourselves so much from those unlike us may subconsciously force us to think that we are not equal... that we are different. But we have the most important thing in common... the Lord. Living a simple life in Brazil and other places during BVS, I learned that these people aren't to be pitied for the 'losses' in their checkbook, but appreciated for the 'profit' in their hearts... and we can all love each other as equal brothers and sisters, made by our Father.

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.

And here is my advice about what is best for you in this matter: Last year you were the first not only to give but also to have the desire to do so. Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means. For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have.

Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. ¹⁴At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. Then there will be equality, as it is written: "He who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little."^{b]">[b] -2 Corinthians 8:9-15}

I'm glad a read this passage this morning. I hadn't read it in quite a while. We are called in a very real way to reach out to those in need when they need it. Following God's example of becoming poor in order to give us riches, we need to give so that there might be 'equality.' When I have something, I can give that to my brother or sister. When they have something, they can give it to me. It's a call to community living... and I only wish we could embrace this. What a testimony it would be. There's also another important aspect of this scripture... we are called to give out of what we have. That makes sense to us here in the US, but there are other countries where certain churches demand a specific amount of money for tithes even from people who don't have it. They don't put food on their table, because they have the obligation to give a certain amount to God (not based on their income or anything like that). The COB in Brazil was always very good about this... while tithing was modeled and encouraged, it was not forced. For, as this verse states, the willingness has to be there.