I have lost all things.
—Philippians 3:8
The apostle Paul’s dad may have had deep pockets, for he provided a top-notch education for his son—a diploma from Tarsus and an advanced degree from Jerusalem under the teaching of the esteemed Rabbi Gamaliel.
Some expositors believe that Paul was disowned by his family because of his conversion, thus forfeiting a cushy lifestyle and a hefty inheritance.
If so, he regarded the loss as insignificant in comparison to the wealth he found in Christ: “what I once thought was valuable is worthless” (Phil. 3:7 CEV).
That doesn’t compute with earthly math, but it gets heavenly arithmetic right: “Don’t store up treasures on earth! … Instead, store up your treasures in heaven … Your heart will always be where your treasure is” (Matt. 6:19-21 CEV).
Choose carefully what you treasure.