Walking Away From Worldly Comfort – wk 3

It’s all Dung

Philippians 3:7-8

Dung, a tidy word for a very untidy substance. When Paul uses the word rubbish or garbage, the root word is dung or large animal excrement. And that’s what Paul calls his success and accomplishments as Saul, dung! 

Paul was exceedingly comfortable before his conversion. He had a life worthy of boasting. (Philippians 3:3-6) But when he converted, he considered it all dung. 

Often when Holy Spirit whispers to us, it is uncomfortable. For example, my friend Suzy was teaching at a university in Texas when she felt that whisper from Holy Spirit to tell one of her students she wasn’t gay. 

Suzy knew that conversation would not be welcome at the University, but she was obedient and went to find the student anyway. The discussion was uncomfortable from the start, but Suzy pushed through. 

”I want you to know that I am not talking to you as a professor right now. I am a Christian, and I feel God is telling me to tell you that you are not gay.” 

The student started crying, leaving Suzy worried about where the conversation would go. Instead, the student said, “I broke up with my girlfriend last night, and I prayed all night that God would send me someone from home to help me through this chaos in my mind.” 

With chills running up her arms, Suzy asked, “What is your hometown?” 

It turned out they were from the same small Texas town, just years apart in school. Suzy’s audacious faith led to a friendship that continues today. She was willing to lose her job for obedience to Christ. 

Paul learned he needed to lose everything he knew as good and count it as rubbish or dung to gain Christ. Because he understood the worth of Christ as his Lord. (Philippians 3:7-8) Paul chose to move from his tremendously comfortable life worthy of boasting about to be used by God beyond his comfort zone. 

Questions to consider:

What are you proud of in your life? What happens if it’s taken away?

What’s one step you can take today to put God first? 

Nita Wilkinson is a writer and speaker that encourages women to pursue joy and freedom with the most important tool in our toolbox of life, the Bible. You can find out more about Nita at her web page www.inthewhisper.org, through her podcast The In the Whisper Podcast and through various social media outlets.

^{©2023 Nita Wilkinson/Christian Women Living Magazine}

We have included a PDF printable for you to keep as a resource and study guide.