Letting Go of Proving Yourself

Our friend Joshua Jalandoon pointed out in the sermon yesterday how both traditional evangelicals and more progressive Christians both love to show off how ‘good’ they are. Whether it’s classic self-righteousness or ‘performative activism’ the root is the same: we do things so others will notice.

Joshua then summarized Paul’s approach in Philippians 3 by saying, “Let go of your need to prove yourself and put your energy towards knowing Christ.”

Hold Joshua’s words in your mind as you read over Pauls’s great words in Philippians. Spend some time with these words, rolling them around in your mind, letting your heart warm to them. What is speaking to you? Are there places you connect with Joshua’s challenge or Pauls’ description?

The very credentials these people are waving around as something special, I’m tearing up and throwing out with the trash—along with everything else I used to take credit for. And why? Because of Christ. Yes, all the things I once thought were so important are gone from my life. Compared to the high privilege of knowing Christ Jesus as my Master, firsthand, everything I once thought I had going for me is insignificant—dog dung. I’ve dumped it all in the trash so that I could embrace Christ and be embraced by him. - Philippians 3:7-8, The Message