But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Philippians 3:7
Many years ago, an Egyptian princess went to the river with her maidens to bathe. While at the riverside, she noticed a basket floating among the bulrushes. Instructing her maidens to bring the basket to her, she opened the cover and was greeted by a baby’s cry. Recognizing the infant as a child of Hebrew slaves, the princess took him home with her, and he grew up as a prince in the royal palace. In manhood, he reached the point where he must choose between the wealth and power of Egypt and the company of a despised and repressed nation of slaves. Moses made his choice, because he esteemed the reproaches of Christ greater riches than all the treasures of Egypt (Hebrews 11:26). He had the same attitude as Paul displays in today’s text.
Consider what would have happened to Moses if he had chosen otherwise. Had he chosen to pursue his career as an Egyptian prince, he would almost certainly have become the next Pharaoh. And while we cannot be certain, if Moses had become the next Pharaoh, it is highly likely that he would have been the one to oppose the release of the children of Israel. He would have experienced the many plagues, including the one where he would lose his eldest son, and then would have perished in the Red Sea. But his legacy lives on in triumph, because like Paul he counted the gain of Egypt but loss. And what of Paul? Had he continued on in his career as a rising star among the Pharisees, he would most likely have risen to the position of high priest. At the time, such a prospect could have been appealing. But that dead-end position pales in comparison to the legacy that Paul has left us as the great apostle to the Gentiles. Paul could look back over his life with no regrets. And he could look forward to the Glory with satisfaction, knowing that the true gain bears no resemblance to the fading gain of this world.
Like Paul and Moses, every one of us must make choices between this world and Christ. And some of those choices might seem painful to us. For example, some young people might have to give up a promising career or promotion that would have taken them away from any contact with God’s Assembly. That is quite a sacrifice! But in the long run, it will always be worthwhile. The money that we can earn, and the possessions that we can accummulate will never make up for the loss of fellowship with God and His people.
Better a life of less within God’s will than an eternity of regret for choosing the world’s gain. -Jim MacIntosh