Day 18- Pressing On
After writing about “worrying”
yesterday, someone encouraged me to go back to Philippians
chapter 3 to stay focused on the prize. When you’re
focusing and pressing on toward the prize, it is much
harder to stop and worry about everything around you.
In this part of Paul’s letter,
he starts off by warning believers of the people and
things that distract us from Christ. Of all people
Paul understands very well what it’s like to
have the distraction of “confidence in the flesh.”
Before Paul became a Christian, he was a model Jewish
citizen. Paul had the right kind of lineage and upbringing.
He was a highly educated Jewish leader. He persecuted
people who believed in Christ, even putting them to
death. He had all the confidence a person could have
with his position of power and authority. But here
in this letter, Paul counts all those earthly credentials
as loss. Paul says here that our
own works and all of our things
are nothing but a loss. They are
just rubbish except for the “excellence of the
knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord.” Paul tells
us that the only gain is Christ and
being found in Him. That happens through faith in
Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith
(v. 8-9).
Is it just me, or is it a doozy seeing
Paul go from an upright religious leader, killer of
Christians, to a dedicated and faithful follower of
Christ? To me it’s an example of how powerful
God is - that he can take someone with a heart as
hardened to Him, as self-righteous as Paul’s
and change it. It also shows us, that no matter what
you’ve done or where you’ve come from,
it’s not too late to put your faith in Christ,
and that He still desires a relationship with you
regardless of your past. Paul is now setting the example
for other Christians on how to live for Christ. And
he is not just telling us, but he’s showing
us how to “press toward the goal for the prize
of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus (v. 14).”
Paul didn’t just talk about it, he lived it
out for all of us to witness.
He again warns us of the enemies of
the cross of Christ, and reminds us that our citizenship
is in heaven. Our citizenship is in heaven.
Pressing on to that prize is where our focus should
lie, not in the distractions and worries of life here.
We already know the end of the story, where we will
end up if we put our faith in Christ. That should
give us confidence while we’re still here. That
is why we need to “press toward the goal for
the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”
Of course as I’m reading this
a song by Relient K called “Pressing On”
keeps popping into my head. I’ll post the lyrics
here as they totally express Paul’s letter.
If you haven’t listened to the song, I highly
recommend it- very bouncy and fun and obviously a
great reminder.
I think we're going somewhere.
We're on to something good here.
Out of mind, out of state.
Trying to keep my head on straight.
I think we're going somewhere.
We're on to something good here.
There's only one thing left to do.
Drop all I have and go with you.
[Chorus:]
Somewhere back there I left my worries all behind.
My problems fell out of the back of my mind.
We're going and I'm never knowing (never knowing)
where we're going.
To go back to where I was would just be wrong.
I'm pressing on.
Pressing on, all my distress is going, going, gone.
(pressing on, pressing on)
And I won't sit back, and take this anymore.
'Cause I'm done with that, I've got one foot out the
door.
And to go back where I was would just be wrong
I'm pressing on.
I think we're going somewhere.
We're on to something good here.
Out of mind, out of state.
Trying to keep my head on straight.
I think we're going somewhere.
We're on to something good here.
Adversity, we get around it.
Searched for joy, in you I found it.
You look down on me, but you don't look down
on me at all.
You smile and laugh, and I feel the love you have
for me.
I think we're going somewhere.
We're on to something good here, and we're gonna make
it after all.
Lord,
Thank You for the reminder of where my focus needs
to be. Worries and distractions in this life here
will come and go, but You are steadfast. Thank You
for being that solid rock that we can count on, put
our trust and faith in, and hope with expectation
in Your promises being fulfilled.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
