This change of loyalty can place us on a different upward path

By Dean Collins

We tend to be very focused on winning, and just winning isn’t enough. We not only want our team to be better than yours; we want our team to be number one. But even if it isn’t, we may stay loyal. Just recently Alabama was named number one in college football. (Again...) And while some readers celebrate, many of you would quickly claim loyalty in your heart to a different team. Alabama may be number one in the polls, but your allegiance is somewhere else.

I’ve seen people change their loyalties in college football and in other matters that are much more important. In life loyalty can be fickle. If a better loyalty card program comes along, people often switch. If an organization or business has customer service failures, loyalty fades. So if our loyalty can be switched so easily, one must question if it is genuine.

His loyalty changed

The apostle Paul was raised and trained in the law. As a Pharisee he was zealous in every way. But Philippians 3 describes a dramatic change in Paul. He once was loyal to his roots in Judaism. Paul was confident in his former ways and relied on sheer willpower to manage his human desires. But once he came-face to-face with Jesus, he was transformed by the power of the gospel. Paul said it this way : “Whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.” Paul completely came to understand Jesus and his call to seek first, and only, the Kingdom of God and let God take care of the rest.

Paul’s shift of loyalty was to Jesus. He wanted to know Jesus, to follow Jesus, even to suffer for Jesus, because he understood that Jesus was a resurrected King who is redeeming and restoring all things to their divine order.

Paul was pressing forward even as he conceded that he hadn’t become fully perfect in his understanding or his maturity. His goal was that all people would know the full and complete life offered by Jesus.

His focus shifted

And then Paul says something very interesting we should pause to think about. Paul said he chooses to forget what is behind and strains to embrace what is ahead. Paul had a very impressive résumé. He put it behind him. Paul’s serious mistakes included presiding over the murder of Christians. He put his mistakes behind him, too. He would not focus on past accomplishments or past failures. His focus was on allowing the Spirit of God to perfect his faith and expand his witness.

Everyone needs a goal. Paul had one, the prize of the upward call of God in Jesus. He didn’t have an attendance goal, a sales goal, a popularity or fame goal. I’m sure he never thought his writing would become most of what we call the New Testament Scriptures. He wrote, he preached, he taught, he suffered for one thing; to reach for the fullness of Christ to be revealed in him. His aim was to be like Jesus.

His call was to maturity

Finally Paul says if you’re spiritually mature your thoughts will center on attaining that kind of maturity. And he conceded that his readers might not yet be mature, but Paul wasn’t worried about that, either. He trusted that God will reveal truth to us, most likely when we humble ourselves to listen. And whatever your maturity level, Paul says to hold onto what is true so that you don’t lose ground.

Many people are ready to offer multiplied opinions about the trouble in our government, our nation, and the world. Many of them are very smart and may be right with their ideas of how to move forward. I’m not smart enough to assume I know what is best for the country. But I know what’s best for me. If you have chosen to follow Jesus it is probably best for you as well.

Focus on the upward call of God in Christ. Choose to listen and follow the King of kings and Lord of lords. If we all start living like he lived, I suspect a whole lot of problems would soon slip away.

Your time with God’s Word
‭‭Philippians‬ ‭3:12-16‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Photo by Enric Cruz López from Pexels

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