What Are You Chasing? | Daily Devotional 1641

You're listening to the My Morning Devotional Podcast, episode 1641. Today's Devo is called What Are You Chasing?

Hey there, we're the Alessis, a ministry family working together in our church in Miami, Florida. And if you're like us, when days get busy, the to-do lists get longer, it can be hard to find devotional time. That's why every weekday we share a five-minute daily dose of heaven. This is the My Morning Devotional Podcast.

Hello, everyone. My name is Lauren Alesi Burgos, and I am your host for this week. And we are talking all on the theme of what is actually worth it in life. We kind of sat down as a team and on the heels of like doing devotionals out of the book of James, we just loved that theme so much. Just taking a book of the Bible and dissecting it one by one. So this week, we are going through the book or this month, we're going through the book of Philippians, and I have Philippians three. And on the topic of this week, talking about what is actually worth it in life, what is actually worth stressing over, um, we are talking today about what you are chasing. So we are going to look to Philippians 3, 8. But actually, I'm going to read a lot of scripture today. So I'm going to dive right in. Um, bear with me, we're going to do it together. And scripture says this, because I want you to read the whole part that I think it is so important. And it's Paul talking here, and he says this if someone thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more. Circumcised on the eighth day of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews in regard to the law, a Pharisee as for zeal persecuting the church, as for righteousness based on the law, faultless. 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. And we're gonna stop there because I could. He was a genius. He was like top of his class, and he was very zealous for the Jewish law. He just won, that's why he persecuted Christians because he was like, This is the right way. How dare you believe that there is now a Jesus Christ? Like, no, that's going against the law. And his whole life, he dedicated to studying um the Torah and like defending it his whole life. So take this person who's a genius who has spent his whole life studying the Torah, defending it, to the point of persecuting people who went against it. Now he turns for Christ. And he's like saying here, if you think you have reasons to be confident in yourself, trust me, I have more. I'm the smartest guy in every room, like literally book smart and street smart. And God met me in my life and he's like, that you're wrong. You are wrong. And that's why he's saying here, whatever were gains to me, being top of the class, being the smartest guy in the room, what I once thought was good by persecuting Christians, that was once a gain to me. And now I consider that a 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. So here's what today's diva, what are you chasing, is about. And it's a simple question. What are you chasing? And is it worth it compared to the to the salvation of Jesus Christ, the eternal life that we gain when we submit our lives to Him? Because if we're just chasing goals, if we're just chasing money, if we're just chasing degrees, if we're just chasing dreams, we're never, ever, ever going to live up to what the like the dreams are always gonna fall short. The degrees will always fall short. The the job will always fall short. But all of that we consider losses for the sake of Christ, for the sake of knowing Christ. And guys, here's what's so good about God. He wants us to have dreams, he wants us to pursue the degrees, he wants us to pursue the jobs, but it can never come before knowing Christ. It can never come before submitting our lives to him. The order must always be our relationship with God, pursuing Christ, knowing him, and then the dreams have to come after it, and then the degrees and the goals, all of it has to come after. Because when it's reverse, it our our lives will never ever live up. Here's a man who's saying, trust me, I did that. And now I consider it all a loss compared to knowing Christ. So I want to challenge you today. Where are you putting your energy? Are you spending your energy chasing the wrong things, chasing the wrong goals? Are you making it an idol? Even if it's not a job or a career or or something that has to do with goals. Maybe it's something like you're you're you're just waiting to get married and have kids and be a mom and be a wife. And once you do that, you'll be settled in who you are. Can I encourage you? There is nothing better than just having a relationship with Christ. That is your identity, not found in being a wife and a mom. Your identity is found in Christ. And if your energy is spent pursuing something else, then you may want to reflect on that. Today, right now, wherever you are, just ask God, where am I putting my energy? And if it's not in pursuing God and really getting to know him, then pray about that and submit your thoughts and your energy to God. Let's pray. Dear Lord, we thank you so much just for the fact that, well, Lord, we thank you that you want us to have dreams and you want us to have goals because you you want us to have a great life, God. But Lord, you never want that to surpass our relationship with you. You never want us to put those dreams on a pedestal and idolize those things. So, Lord, help us reflect on where we're putting our energy today. And God, if we are focusing on the wrong things, help us focus on you. Because, like Paul, Lord, we want to consider everything a loss for the surpassing worth of knowing you. So help us to do that. In Jesus' name we pray.

Amen. So there you have it, your five minute daily dose of heaven. Thank you so much for tuning in today. We pray these devotionals empower you to take on your day. If you found value in this devotional, share it with a friend, leave a comment or review for us on the app you're using right now. Until tomorrow, we pray that your latte is strong, but your love for Jesus is stronger.