I Press On Toward The Goal

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

All of us, then, who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. Only let us live up to what we have already attained.

Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do.

Philippians 3:12-17

Kangeroos and emus, have something in common – they seldom move backwards.

The apostle Paul called for a similar approach to the life of faith in his letter to the Philippians. He told them to forget the things behind them and reach forward to those things ahead. Run the race, and finish it.

It is wise to learn from the past, but we shouldn’t live in the past. We cannot redo or undo the past, but by God’s grace we can press forward and serve God faithfully today and in the future. The life of faith is a journey forward as we become like Christ.

We should go anywhere – provided it is forward.

Our Daily Bread – June 1, 2014