"Lose the candle, get some Sun"

Philippians 3:1-11, 2 Corinthians 4:18
While packing for our trip to Colorado this week, I stumbled across all these great accolades, awards, plaques, and trophies from years past. I could recall the feelings of joy, self-worth, and value I experienced with each one. 

But years have past and all those feelings have vanished and the hardware is now worthless. They help to provide good story material but they are all filled 

with vanity and have little if any worth. How many times do we put our value and self-worth in things that wither with time and fade to obscurity. We ascribe to obtain titles, positions, money, fame, and relationships. And yet despite our best efforts these very things always seem to find a way to disappoint us and let us down.

Titles change in level of importance, positions become obsolete, money loses it's economic value, fame is dependent on our audience's desire for us, and relationships are fickle at best.

We find our true value in The One who knows us, created us, and even counted the number of hairs on our head (Jeremiah 1:5, Luke 12:7) and nothing else. Establishing all your trust and seeking your value in anything else will only lead to disappointment (Psalm 20:7-8). This is why we see death as a JOY! because we will be with The Lord! And life as an opportunity to bring God glory (2 Corinthians 5:9)

What we could gain or lose on Earth 

 is like a candle held up against the Sun when we compared to Jesus, it becomes pointless and useless to try and obtain (Philippians 3:7). If you place all your hope, value, and trust in something else that is finite you will watch your hope, self-worth, and your purpose quickly disappear.

Trust this, if you put all your trust, value, and hope in Jesus your lesser desires will fade in the presence of a greater JOY!  

(Matthew 13:44). Stay focused, you can do this. 

"In His JOY"