What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ (Phi. 3:8)
Jesus never minced words when He counseled His would-be disciples to count the cost before jumping on board. In another setting, He taught that the Kingdom of God was of such value that you should exchange everything you have to acquire it. Paul unveiled his approach which is in line with what God commanded. He traded off his Jewishness, culture, education, relationships, and even ambition for the sake of knowing Christ. We cannot joggle and try to balance other pursuits on the one hand and knowing Jesus Christ on the other hand. It does not work that way. You can only know and experience Christ fully when you fully give up everything else that is important to you. The good news is that when you take this approach, you will know Christ and even gain better things than what you gave up. Wow!
