Scripture:
Philippians 3:13–16
13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider that I have laid hold of it, but one thing I have laid hold of: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal, toward the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus. 15 Let those of us, then, who are mature think this way, and if you think differently about anything, this, too, God will reveal to you. 16 Only let us hold fast to what we have attained. (NRSVUE)
Observation:
The Apostle Paul is encouraging the Philippian Christians to continue pressing onward in their walk with the Lord. Paul seemed to understand that there is always more in the Christian walk. He also knows the importance of moving beyond where we have been, so he says he forgets what lies behind. I don’t think that’s in a negative sense, but he realizes that if he is going to go on with the Lord, he can’t just sit and relish what happened in the past. He has to press on toward what lies ahead.
There is a heavenly call in Christ Jesus, and it is for all of us. Therefore, Paul encourages those who are mature in their faith to understand what he’s saying. He is also aware that not everyone may think the same way, but he trusts that God will continue to bring clarity to their understanding.
Finally, he says that we need to “hold fast to what we have attained.” Don’t go backward in your Christian life. Hold firm to where you are, and then press on, straining forward toward the goal. And Jesus is the goal.
Application:
Sometimes pressing on spiritually feels like a sprint, and sometimes like a marathon. There are different seasons of life, and also different mountains and challenges that we each face. But the most important thing for us to embrace is the need to keep moving forward. There is always more of Christ to know.
It’s always fun to be around a new believer. When they share their faith, it is such a blessing. But something can happen to us when we’ve been walking with the Lord for a long time. Our daily discipline of time in the Word and prayer can become something that we simply check off our to-do list. We can become dry spiritually. Paul knew that there had to be encouragement to keep pressing on spiritually.
John Wesley used small group meetings for accountability. Each member was expected to answer questions about their spiritual life. One of the questions I’ve drawn from my study of these meetings is, “What means of grace have you attended?” Maybe we could also ask, “What have you done to keep pressing on?” For the early Methodists, the answer may have included attending regular worship, participating in communion, fellowshipping with an accountability group, and spending time in prayer. These were intentional practices that helped them continue to grow in their relationship with Christ.
Today, I ask you, and I ask myself, “What are you doing to keep pressing on?” If we can’t answer that, then we’re probably not pressing on. It’s time to take inventory, hold fast to what you have attained, but press on toward the goal. I want to know Christ!
Prayer:
Lord, please help me to keep pressing on toward You. I truly want to know You more, and I pray that the distractions of life would not get the better of me. Amen.
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