Before you give up on your goals, listen to me. Desire can make a difference when it comes to giving up or trying something else. A lack of passion will hinder our pursuit every time. Far too often, we grow apathetic and give up before we ever reap the fruit of our labor (Gal. 6:9). One of the things that will cause us to lose interest and passion is when we do things for the wrong reasons. Having an improper purpose is what gets us off track in the church. Christians usually focus on the wrong things, which leads to an inward focus. An inward focus gets old fast. When we do everything for ourselves and no one else, we will lose our desire.
In Philippians, Paul uses the illustration of a runner participating in a race (Phil. 3:12-14). While speaking of himself, his words are relevant to all of us. For an athlete, such as a runner, to win their sporting event, they must have a purpose. The road to victory is too tricky for apathy. Paul reminds us, "Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus" (Phil. 3:12 NASB). Paul's words are a challenge to Christians everywhere. For those who believe that they are spiritually better than someone else, if Paul has not arrived, neither have you. For others who struggle with thinking that someone is better, Paul's words should enlighten your soul to the fact that everyone has work to do. Fortunately for all of us, the work that must be accomplished is done in Christ, not our efforts. Paul's purpose was "that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection" (Phil. 3:10 NASB). The word that is translated as "press on" here is not a casual walk but a straining effort. Paul will focus on every thought, desire, muscle, and anything else he can find to achieve his goal. Paul has his purpose.
Next, Paul says, "One thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead" (Phil. 3:13b NASB). When runners in a race run to win, they do not focus on what is behind them. Too many allow the past to dictate their actions or weigh them down. You will never win a race when you focus on what happened in the past. Our focus cannot be what is behind us but must be what lies ahead of us. For the Christian, a glorious future in Christ awaits. For now, we run this race to win. Finally, Paul says, "I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 3:14 NASB). Here, we see the prize. What is the prize? Some mistakenly think that Paul is talking about heaven. For the modern church, heaven has become our focus. We sing about it, write about it, and teach about it. Unfortunately, like many other things we get focused on, this leads us astray. Heaven is not our goal or our prize. Streets of gold, pearly gates, and no more suffering are lovely things but not our goal. The focus of the Apostle Paul was never heaven; it was Christ. Our eternal hope is not about a place but about being with Him.
When our focus gets off, we will lose heart. When heaven is our goal, we become inwardly focused and miss the point of the Christ-life. The Christ-life is not about leaving this world behind but demonstrating that there is hope in Christ. He turned Saul, a church persecutor, into the Apostle Paul. If He can do that, He can help anyone. That is the hope that people need to see in the church. We run this race to obtain the prize, which is Christ. So press on, reach out, and run with everything you have.
In Christ,
Pastor Josh May
Comentarios