I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ (Philippians 3:8).
When was the last time you submitted a job application? What was the process? Did you answer questions online, or did you undergo an in-person interview?
More importantly, what paperwork did you submit? Whatever the application process was, it is safe to assume that you probably submitted a resumé of some kind. After all, a resumé is vital to any job application.
Resumés are designed to show why you are the best fit for the job at hand. Our resumés put our best foot forward. They describe our skills, our knowledge, and our ability.
The purpose of a resumé is singular; it conveys why we are the person the employer is looking for in a new hire. The better the resumé, the better the job opportunity.
Many people treat God the same way they would treat a potential employer. They focus on amassing spiritual qualifications, just as we may cultivate employable skills and aptitudes.
The more religious credentials we have under our belt, it is believed, the more blessings we garner in our lives. It is as if we assume that God’s gifts are dependent upon ticking the appropriate religious, denominational, or spiritual box.
In Philippians chapter 3, Paul calls us to destroy our spiritual resumé. He critiques the type of faith system that attempts to bolster our spiritual life through human effort.
The life of faith isn’t about the spiritual boxes we can tick. Our religious accolades are nothing when compared to the value of an inward relationship with the Lord.
If you wish to dismantle your spiritual resumé and cultivate a rich spiritual life, below are three things you need to consider.
1. The Danger of Spiritual Resumés
Our spiritual resumé is any human-based action that we look to for spiritual justification. For example, some people base their spiritual life upon a certain form of baptism, a service of confirmation, or a particular verbal confession.
One’s life of faith is deemed incomplete or invalid if one hasn’t undergone the appropriate service. Other people may look to spiritual activity as evidence of their spiritual status.
A spiritual hierarchy is quickly established where those who speak in tongues are more spiritual than those who do not, and where pastors and priests are holier than regular folk.
This is the very form of spirituality that Paul stepped away from. As one circumcised on the eighth day, a people of Israel from the tribe of Benjamin, Paul lived as a zealous and righteous Pharisee (Philippians 3:5-6).
He could boast about his religious credentials more than anyone else. Yet, despite these accolades, and as important as they were in Jewish society, Paul declares them devoid of all spiritual life and power.
Paul steps away from a life based on his religious resumé, so that he might “gain Christ” (Philippians 3:8). Intimacy with Jesus is the most important matter for a life of faith.
Our spiritual resumé doesn’t matter if we don’t know Jesus personally. In fact, Paul goes so far to call his previously held credentials “rubbish” (Philippians 3:8).
Unfortunately, Our English translations don’t do this claim justice. When Paul calls his spiritual resumé “rubbish,” he doesn’t use the word for refuse or garbage. Instead, he uses the Greek words “skubala,” meaning “Cow dung.”
I wonder…what common idiom can we substitute for “cow dung?” Paul literally says that basing our spiritual life on anything other than a relationship with Jesus Christ is complete bull!
It’s natural to develop a spiritual resumé. In fact, amassing religious qualifications and credentials may be part and parcel of growing faith. The problem comes when we look more to our credentials than we do to Christ.
Our religious resumé, as good as they might be, will never satisfy our spiritual longing, nor can they bring us the soul-deep satisfaction we need in our lives. Our life with God must be based on an abiding relationship with Jesus.
2. The Importance of Knowing Jesus
Cultivating a spiritual resumé is often self-focused and self-glorifying. It is about climbing the spiritual ladder of success and recognition. For example, one may attempt to read the Bible not out of a desire to know the Lord, but to be recognized in the accomplishment.
Crafting spiritual resumés becomes focused on “being seen by others” and receiving the appropriate reward (Matthew 6:3). A spiritual resumé simply can’t compare to the “surpassing value” of a relationship with Jesus (Philippians 3:4).
Thus, having stepped away from a spirituality based on his religious resumé, Paul writes that he longs to “know Christ, and the power of his resurrection” (Philippians 3:9).
Knowing Jesus is the ultimate desire of our faith. Of course, this begs the question; how do we go about knowing Christ Jesus in our life?
Importantly, knowing Jesus is more than being able to answer trivia questions; it is about the heart rather than the head. Knowing Jesus speaks to an acknowledgment of his indwelling presence.
Paul writes that he wants to “share in his suffering by becoming like him in his death” (Philippians 3:10). Paul desires to journey with Jesus in such a way that he will be conformed to his likeness. Such is the desire of every Christian person.
3. The Need to Walk with Jesus
Ultimately, spiritual resumés are products we possess and use for our own glorification. They feel safe and easy because we remain in control.
We control the experiences we have, and how we handle them. As we climb that spiritual ladder of accolades and recognition, we fill up our lives with holy moments and spiritual credentials.
But knowing Jesus isn’t a moment, it is a life we live.
Christians are called to follow Jesus, to walk in his footsteps. This means there is never a moment where we have fully arrived at our spiritual perfection.
Paul writes, “I’m not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends don’t get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward — to Jesus. I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back” (Philippians 3:12-14 The Message).
The Christian life is an ongoing life, a life where we are always striving to know Jesus more. There is never a moment in our Christian lives where we can say that we know Jesus enough or have experienced enough of his grace.
Imagine if this was the case in our human relationships. What would a marriage look like if someone decided that they cultivated enough time as a faithful spouse, that they didn’t need to bother with such things anymore? How disordered would that relationship be?
Similarly, our relationship with Jesus is a constant reality in our lives. Christ calls us to take up our cross daily (Luke 9:23). Each day is lived in the light of our love for Jesus, and his love for us.
Do you strive to know Jesus? Do you strive to live with him each day? More than anything else, this amounts to our spiritual livelihood. It is the indwelling presence of the Spirit, through a relationship with Jesus, that opens the door to spiritual vitality.
So put down your spiritual resumé and turn to the one who calls you to himself.
For further reading:
Why Is Spiritual Maturity Important?
Why Is Spiritual Discipline Important?
3 Misconceptions about Spiritual Gifts
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