The Cost and Reward of Putting Jesus First
“For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him...that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.”
The Apostle Paul had every reason to believe his past could define him forever. Before following Christ, he persecuted Christians and actively tried to stop the spread of the gospel. Scripture records his involvement in the persecution of believers, and Paul later acknowledged that he considered himself unworthy because of what he had done—But Jesus did not leave Paul there.
In Philippians 3:7-8, Paul explains how completely his values changed. Everything he once considered gain became loss compared with the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus as Lord. Putting Jesus first changed the way Paul viewed his past, his purpose, his suffering, and his future.
Paul’s life shows that God forgives. His past was serious, yet God's grace was greater. Paul’s story reminds us that no failure has to become the final chapter for someone who turns to Jesus. His life also shows that Jesus uses people He has forgiven. Paul did not simply receive mercy and disappear into obscurity. Christ entrusted him with ministry, and Paul became one of the most influential followers of Jesus in the New Testament and Christian history.
Putting Jesus first also means trusting that God sees and blesses faithfulness. Biblical blessing does not mean that Christians receive everything they want or avoid hardship. Paul’s own life proves that: he experienced beatings, imprisonment, danger, hunger, rejection, and suffering. Following Jesus cost him greatly, yet Paul still considered knowing Christ worth more than everything he had lost.
That perspective came from living with eternity in view. Paul understood that temporary suffering could not compare with eternal glory. He lived toward a prize that could not be taken away and a reward that would not fade. His life was not centered on comfort, success, or ease. It was centered on Christ.
Paul’s example leaves us with an important question: if following Jesus costs us comfort, approval, opportunity, or something we once considered valuable, is Jesus still worth it? Paul’s answer was unmistakable. Putting Jesus first does not mean life becomes easy. It means Jesus becomes worth more than everything else.