We all want to be remembered for doing something great.
Making our mark in school, on the athletic field, making a different in society
and whatever our hobbies are. We can be a society that focuses on what makes us
known. What if our goal in life wasn’t to be known but be forgotten? If we
didn’t want to be remembered. If we wanted the focus to be on other people
above our own?
I remember in high school doing a 10 year time capsule. I
vaguely remember what we wanted to do with our lives. I wanted to get a sport
scholarship to Michigan State or a couple of different schools. I wanted to be
on my way to being a great sports writer and I think more of the American dream
idea. I did not accomplish these goals, but is that a bad thing? Do I feel like
a horrible person because I didn’t follow the career path I had from the 14
year old version of myself? No. Sometimes what we experience and what we enjoy
change our goals overtime.
Paul shares about his own life in Philippians 3:7-9…
“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 faith in
Christ-the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.”
Paul considered the things he used to go for pointless
compared to Christ and his new goal. His gains he considered rubbish, the way
this translates his gains are more like food scraps or like crap now. Paul changed his life focus to being Christ
focused. He didn’t want to be remembered, he wanted Jesus to be remembered
through what he accomplished. Paul wanted the life focus to be not on him but
on Christ. What if we lived the same way?
Put others before us. What if we tried to make to make the
world a better place, not for us but for others? I am not perfect I have
different struggles, but everything I am today is because of Christ and the
differences he made in my life. If I am forgotten for the name of Christ, I am
good with that.
How about you? Do you strive to be remembered or forgotten
for a better name or cause?
Have a great day.
