Philippians 3-4: Pressing on for the Goal
I’m not sure that there is a more comforting set of verses than Philippians 3:12-14.
“Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (ESV).
Wow! You mean Paul, the apostle, wasn’t perfect? He didn’t do everything right? I mean I know before he became a Christian he did some really bad things. I’ve always been certain he did become great the first day he was a Christian. But here he is writing letters to let people know how to live in their service to God and he claims he is still not perfect. He still has to grow.
That just comforts me. I’ve been a Christian now for 22 years. That is hard for me to imagine. When I consider how badly I still mess things up spiritually I get very discouraged. Some days I even am willing to just throw in the towel. Why keep trying?
Surely Paul felt that way sometimes. Yet, his response was to just keep pressing on. Think about it. If Paul could say he wasn’t perfect, then just like me, he could pinpoint somethings that had just happened that demonstrated his imperfection. Instead of allowing that to make him stop, he pressed on. He kept going. He understood that serving God is not about where we are, but about where we are growing.
If you’re like me, you can pinpoint a dozen things and more that have happened in the past few days to remind you how imperfect you are. Don’t let those get you down. Keep looking forward. Keep pressing forward. Keep running the race. As long as you don’t quit, you will win the prize.
Keep the faith and keep reading,
ELC
What is Going On Here?
I’m so glad you dropped by “Give Attention to Reading,” a blog dedicated to reading and discussing God’s word, the Bible.
This blog is not about pushing our favorite doctrines. It is not about debate (though I’m sure at times we might get some good discussion going). It is just about promoting the reading of Scripture. It is about reading it with a view to learning something each day.
This blog is driven by my book of the same title. I figured out if we read two chapters of the New Testament each week day, we can read the whole New Testament in exactly six months. My book provides a note page for each day of reading with a section of very simple questions to devote your mind to the text and some thought questions to help you take the study as deep as you want it. It also contains a weekly group discussion guide if you would like to take this journey with some friends.
Whether you get the book or not, this blog provides a spot for us to discuss how the Word has hit us. I hope you will join me each weekday and read the New Testament together. Each day, I will blog about how the day’s reading struck me. Usually, I will pick out some part of the reading that impacted me in a special way. Feel free to comment about my thoughts or share with other Bible readers some part of the day’s reading that really resonated with you. When we are all sharing how the Word impacts us, we will all grow together.
If you want to maximize your experience, you can purchase my “Give Attention to Reading” book at Streamside Supplies.
May God richly bless you as you draw closer to Him.
More importantly, may you richly bless God.
P.S. I am currently working on a version for the Old Testament. Hopefully, by the time we are done with our present trek through the New Testament, we will be ready for the Old.
Give Attention to Reading 