Knowing Christ Jesus as our Lord and Savior radically rearranges all our priorities, alters our perspectives and influences our relationships and decisions. When our focus becomes Christ, He becomes the center of our lives. His presence in our lives gives us an indescribable peace, no matter what is going on, and this is the hunger our spirit is desperately trying to fill.
Fame, fortune, fitness, losses, suffering, and heartaches are nothing compared with the blessing of knowing and having an intimate relationship with Christ.
“More than that, I also consider everything to be a loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. Because of him I have suffered the loss of all things and consider them as dung, so that I may gain Christ”
Philippians 3:8 CSB
Discovering God’s faithfulness, experiencing His help, and embracing His purpose brings meaning, significance, and importance to every aspect of our lives.
Life’s highest goal must be valued in our relationship with Christ. Paul knew that his imprisonment, torture, and adversity was meant to know Christ more. He tolerated His afflictions because he could view them in light of a broader spiritual goal: experiencing and knowing the sufficiency of Christ in every situation.
Have you come to a point in your life where you can agree with Paul and confess your dependence on Christ? Do you see suffering as a means to know Him in a personal way? He is close to the broken-hearted.
You may be battling temptations and having a hard time believing God will continue to love you. It’s true, God hates sin. He hates what sin does to us and those around us, but He never hates the sinner. If you are willing to admit your need, He will give you what you need to conquer every temptation, challenge, and sin.
I heard a preacher say, “God is a gentleman, He is not going to bully His way into your life. He patiently waits and knocks at the door. If you do not want Him, He is not going to give up, but He is also not going to push His way into your life.”
Is knowing Christ your ultimate goal in life? If it is, friend I can tell you He will show you how to lay your disappointments and failures at the foot of His cross.
God’s promises are sure. They are sure to the righteous and the wicked. When we set our hearts and minds to know Him, He will open our spiritual ears and eyes to spiritual truth. He will reveal Himself in wonderful and unexpected ways. When we set our heart and mind to our own desires and on ourselves, God promises death and destruction will come to our lives.
Although the world offers enticing imitations and promising substitutes, nothing will ever compare to the value of a genuine and growing relationship with a Christ.
“In him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”
Colossians 2:3 CSB
In Christ all wisdom and knowledge is found. Again, He is not going to force you to receive knowledge and wisdom. He waits and knocks on the doors of your heart. He desires fellowship with you and desires to share all truth with you. He desires to lead you on a path of peace and joy. When our fore most passion is to know God, he assures us He will provide rest and meet our needs.
“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.”
Matthew 6:33 CSB
Principle 1: Living God’s Way
Principle 2: Surrender: The Starting Point
Principle 3: Grace: Why we need it
Principle 4: Connection with God: The most effective way to live
Principle 5: Trust: Faith in Action
Principle 6: Obedience: It always brings a blessing
Principle 7: God’s Will: It’s worth the wait
Principle 8: Adversity: He refines us by fire
Principle 9: Prayer: It’s War on the floor
Principle 10: The Bible: Our sourcebook for life
It Starts Small 
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