Skubalon Happens

This is taken from a post I wrote in 2009, but since I referred to this in a recent message (Sunday, January 2, 2022) I wanted to repost it.

Philippians 3:7-8 - But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ...

The above verse illustrates that when it is all said and done the things that we seem to think are so important, really aren’t at all, not even close. And in my own life, I experience this over and over again. I will become concerned, disturbed, worried, troubled, and terrified over something that turns out, in the end, to be really insignificant. And I think about the lost sleep, the upset stomach, and the frustration, and yes even anger, and then realize it was all for nothing.

If my life is really in the hands of God, then aren’t I really just along for the ride? I keep forgetting that there is a God who loves me wants the best for me. He is way smarter than I am and He knows how to guide me into a life that I can’t even imagine. And here I am getting all stressed out, and for what? For nothing really all that substantial, because in 100 years (or during eternity in heaven) what will these things really matter?

Here is where “skubalon” comes in. Paul says that compared to knowing Jesus and having Him in my life all these other things can’t even come close to comparing. So he thinks of the most insignificant thing he can to compare how little these things are, he uses the word skubalon (skoo'-bal-on). The translators of the King James Bible can’t use this word in its literal meaning because it is deeply offensive to our sensibilities. And they translate it using the word “dung” or the New King James uses the word “rubbish”. But Paul is making a very important point that gets lost in the translation, his intent is to show how small and trivial the things of the world are compared to knowing Jesus. So he uses the example of, (WARNING: if you are easily offended by language then you should stop reading right now: YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!) are you ready for this…He compares the things of this world…dog poop compared to knowing Jesus. (BTW, I would have used Cat poop instead!)

So what are we so worried about? We know Jesus! And He knows Us!