Pressing Toward The Goal

Pressing toward the Goal

I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but 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. Philippians 3:12-14

A study was done on what separated sports stars such as Venus Williams and Tiger Woods from others who had just as much talent but didn’t win the championship, the prize. It wasn’t that the stars had more innate strength or ability. According to the researchers, what set them apart was their ability to stay focused and persevere under stress.

This is a key for us in our spiritual lives as well. But our focus isn’t on a sports championship, as sought after as that goal might be. It’s on the Lord himself! The prize Paul is describing is much greater than winning an Olympic gold medal or the U.S. Open. Our goal is to center our lives on Jesus Christ and become all God created us to be so that we can fulfill our purpose on earth.

In today’s passage, Paul prefaces the message by admitting that he doesn’t have it all together; he hasn’t attained perfection and doesn’t have it made. And neither do any of us! But Paul was in the race, reaching out for Christ, who had so wondrously reached out and saved him. He’s saying, “Look, I’m not an expert; I haven’t got it made. No one has.” But he’s got his eye on the goal, where God is beckoning him onward to Jesus. Paul is not turning back, and we are not to turn back either.

These marvelous verses encourage those of us who want everything God has for us to keep focused on that same goal. How can we persevere? How can we keep from turning back when the going gets tough? By “keeping our eyes on Jesus” (Hebrews 12:2), by drawing near to him day by day, and by discovering him and loving him more and more through his Word. —CHERI

Jesus, I want to run with active persistence and patient endurance the path you’ve appointed for me. Thank you for the cloud of witnesses, like Paul, that surrounds us and encourages us with words of hope to fix our eyes on you.

Don’t measure the size of the mountain; talk to the One who can move it. Instead of carrying the world on your shoulders, talk to the One who holds the universe on his. Hope is a look away. —MAX LUCADO, AUTHOR AND MINISTER