Philippians 3  "... rejoice in union with the Lord.."  This is the theme and the exhortation of Paul's letter.. 

Everything else is garbage... Paul had all the qualifications to be a Jewish super-star, but none of it mattered to him after he met Jesus.  Everything that his world valued had no use in the reality of Jesus Christ, the Messiah and King. 

Paul was dedicated to the Lord when he was eight days old.

He was from the right family, the right nation, and the right school. 

He was passionate about his life and work. 

He was obsessed with keeping the rules... perfectly!

Yet, he was lost and separated from the God he claimed to serve.. until he met Jesus. 

Paul tells his story so that we can realize that we are in the same situation.. we all need to surrender all the "garbage" that we are clinging to.. everything that we think makes us better, makes us successful, makes us happy, or makes us "right"... So that we trust in Christ alone. 

In union with Jesus we find true righteousness.  It was His faithfulness.. His death, His resurrection, His perfect righteousness that is our source of life. Paul encourages us to pursue Him... pursue  "the goal in order to win the prize offered by God's upward calling in Messiah Yeshua." 

Pay attention.

Conduct yourself accordingly.

Imitate Paul's pattern -surrender, leave behind the worthless pursuits, and strive for Jesus only!

Trust in the One who is coming.. our Deliverer, Jesus Christ the Lord.  "He will change the bodies we have in this humble state and make them like His glorious body, using the power which enables Him to bring everything under His control." 

Father in heaven, we have been blinded to the unseen reality - of heaven, of eternity, and of You.. caught up in the world and its pleasures and problems, its promises and its failures.  We need You.  We need to know You and to serve You. We choose to turn away from the things of this world.. for they are rubbish.. worthless.. for all these things will pass away.  The only True, eternal reality is You.  Open our eyes and our hearts, Lord, so that we might seek You and find You.  Let us be changed by the power of Jesus Christ as we abide in Him and rejoice that we are in union with Him.. forever and ever. Amen!