I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. (Phil. 3:8)
Expanded Passage: Philippians 3:1—4:4
A statue of Jesus stands in a cathedral in Copenhagen, Denmark, which strikes observers as unusual, to say the least. The skill of the artist, Bertel Thorvaldsen, is apparent, and it’s easy to appreciate his craftsmanship, but as you stand before it, this marble Christ doesn’t meet your gaze. Thorvaldsen has carved his “Christus” with lowered head and downturned eyes, and even the gentle hands seem to be stretching toward someone or something else. But that’s the genius of the artist’s creation. Everything comes into perspective when you kneel. This Christ is meant to be viewed from one’s knees.
The apostle Paul knew what it meant to live for himself, and he knew what it meant to live for the Lord. Everything that once had meant so much to him—power, status, prominence—were now “rubbish,” and he refused to consider their absence a loss. How, he asked his readers, could he possibly think he had lost anything when he had gained Christ? Paul, the once-proud Pharisee and chief persecutor of the church, now lived life on his knees as a servant of his Lord, and everything had fallen into its proper perspective.
One day every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (see Phil. 2:9–11). I choose to kneel now.
Live life on your knees today.
Bob Black is an emeritus professor of religion at Southern Wesleyan University. Along with Keith Drury, he co-authored the denominational history, The Story of The Wesleyan Church.
© 2025 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.
