Philippians 3:13-14

Philippians 3:13-14

I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.

When running a race, athletes must always keep the end goal in mind—crossing the finish line. When the going gets tough, they picture the final reward, even if it’s just the satisfaction of finishing. Keeping this in mind motivates them to work hard in the present moment. Paul encourages us to do the same as we run our “spiritual” race. We visualize our end goal—eternal life with God in a perfect world—so we can live our present moments with purpose. What goals keep you motivated? Finishing a degree? Buying a house? Retirement? How might shifting your goal to enjoying eternal heavenly rewards change how you live today?