So Much Garbage!

 

I have a confession to make: I still have projects and papers from my growing up years; well at least the ones that won me a prize or recognition. For example, I still have school papers with gold stars – I still have report cards with circled red ‘A’s’ – and I still have plaques that read: ‘way to go Paul.’ But my most valued possession are my Cub Scout badges. Do we have any former Cub Scouts reading this blog entry?  I mean the Cub Scouts had the neatest badges not only for becoming a Bobcat, a Wolf, a Bear (the Cub Scout advancement categories) but also for noting achievement in a particular skill-set like athletics, photography or science. Better known as merit badges in Boy Scouting, these achievement badges were addictive, because the more badges you got the more important you became. I mean just get a few achievement badges, and you got a little attention, but get a lot of achievement badges and wow, you became a super-star – a somebody -- really valued – really elevated – really esteemed!

Apparently, the Apostle Paul had a lot of merit badges. Because Scripture notes that even before becoming an Apostle, Paul achieved big time. Paul says it best in Philippians 3:5. I had pedigree and credentials: “…a legitimate birth, circumcised on the eighth day; an Israelite from the elite tribe of Benjamin, [a Hebrew of Hebrews]; a strict and devout adherent to God’s law; a fiery defender of the purity of my religion…a meticulous observer of everything set down in God’s law Book.” (Philippians 3:5-6, The Message). Yet in spite of such achievement, Paul notes, I no longer value achievement; in fact, I’ve thrown all my merit badges away (Philippians 3:7-8)! Why? Because I’ve discovered that true merit is only found in Christ and Christ alone. Everything else frankly, “…I consider…garbage” (Philippians 3:8).          

         

As we enter 1 Timothy 1, the garbage of Paul’s life is apparent. Why sure, I looked like a Cub Scout on the outside, Paul infers, but I was really “a blasphemer…a persecutor…and a violent man…” on the inside. (I Timothy 1:13). Translated: I was a phony. Frankly that’s what dependence on external achievement does: it fosters phoniness, duplicity – as we justify the chaos, confusion and sin on the inside – because of the merit badges, the money, prestige, accomplishment on the outside, ‘on the surface.’

But that’s all prestige and accomplishment really are: ‘surface things.’ Why true life and transformation are found in soul things, as we operate deep, ‘living from the inside out.’

Live inside out -- major in 'soul things,' deep things:  the merit, the achievement of Jesus.  Listen it is tempting to major in self-achievement.  I mean 'racking up' more accomplishment, more merit badges is addictive, be the accomplishment more money, more promotions, or more fame.

But self-achievement is a surface thing; only the achievement of God is a deep thing, feeding your soul.  Feed your soul, living out of the unmerited favor and blessing of Jesus -- flowing, gushing, super-abundantly -- beyond all measure -- out of the massive merit of God!