Standing on the Podium

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. ... All of us, then, who are mature should take such a view of things


(Philippians 3:12-15 TNIV).

I MUST REALIZE GOD HAS A GOAL FOR MY LIFE

Paul says, “I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.” The words I want to see are the words, “that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.” Paul understood that the Lord took hold of his life with a goal in mind.

And this is true for me..

God’s desire is that I grow.

Why is this important? First, It's important to realize that God's goal is not just to "get me in the door". He is not looking to merely "save me", He is working to "transform me" toward holiness.

But second, it is important to realize that God has a job for me to do. He has called me TO something. I am a part of His plan. God DOES have a plan for my life. His plan will lead me to joy, fulfillment, contentment and eternal blessing.

I HAVE NOT ARRIVED YET

Paul not only recognizes that the Lord has a grand purpose for his life, He realizes that he has not arrived at that purpose yet. Paul knows he is not what he should be. He is aware of his faults and the areas where he still needs to grow. Paul recognizes that he is not finished yet.

My Christian life is a life of growth and maturity . . . much like life itself. Growth takes time. As diligently as Paul worked at his faith, he still had not arrived. I get discouraged . . . but I need to keep moving forward.

I am not there yet.

DON’T LIVE IN THE PAST

Paul tells me that if I want to be focused on our growth I must “forget the past”. Obviously Paul is not telling me to literally not remember anything. Certainly I should remember who I was before Christ found me. I should remember the times we have seen God’s faithfulness demonstrated. I need to remember the mistakes I've made so I can avoid them in the future.

Forgiveness is the key from the past that will unlock the future

What it does mean?

When Paul talks about forgetting he is telling me that I can’t and must not live in the past. What happened in the past is past and I must keep going forward. There are two reasons I need to forget the past. First, I have a tendency to fixate on the past. I will hold on to some bad experience and it will become an anchor that weighs me down. I will remember a hurt that someone inflicted and it will eat me up. I will remember a time when I stumbled and I will determine to never try again. How I deal with the painful times of the past will determine how I live in the present. I must learn from the pain and then move on.

What God has forgiven should never be taken as a burden again.

Second, I have a tendency to rest on the past. I will replay the past victories and be content to remember instead of continuing to push ahead. I must forget the past and focus on the present.

He tells me that he is stretching forward and he is reaching for his goal. He is not only concentrating, he is straining forward. The image is like that of running in a race. You see people in a race leaning forward to try to beat their opponent to the tape. This is the image Paul uses for his desire to grow spiritually.

KEEP MY EYE ON THE GOAL

Paul tells me that he must always keep his eyes on the prize. It is like the Olympic athlete who trains tirelessly for a gold medal at the Olympics. When they get tired they imagine what it will be like to stand on the platform and hear the National Anthem of their country being played. That picture spurs them on.

Lord, grant me the power and wisdom to stretch forward to the goal I can only obtain with you on the Adventure in Middle Grove