“[Paul] Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it (perfection) my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13-14 -> me: I am not perfect but I need to live in confidence of my ultimate salvation. I do this by ‘forgetting what lies behind’. The opposite of the Hebrew word used for ‘forget’ is a word that means “recalling from the past into the present of an action which lies buried in history”. This is a fresh take on leaving behind the ‘old man’ and embracing the ‘new man’. I listened to Henty’s (Student Ministry Pastor at Canyon Hills) message this morning and am encouraged to see the alignment with Hebrews 12:1-2. We are to ‘run, with perseverance, the course set before us -> fixing our eyes on Jesus’. ‘Straining forward’ and ‘press on toward’ are more of an aspect of reaching past our grasp; stretching forth toward something that is not attainable without God’s help….and what is the prize? Its an ‘upward call of God IN Jesus Christ’; a call into His presence for eternity. A call into that Joy that was set before Jesus as He endured the cross. All the struggles here on earth seem so little when looked at from the vantage point of this mindset.
Pray this for yourself…
Right now I am going through Colossians with an amazing gentleman our LifeGroup. He has been looking for ways to get something in, time wise, each day that he can mull over and pray for the Lord to give him life application in. So we are doing a verse a day starting in Colossians 1; yesterday was verse 9 of Colossians 1 and today is verse 10. This is Paul telling the Colossian church how he and Timothy have been praying for them. However, I found it amazing to just turn the wording inward and actually use it as a prayer to the Lord about what I could have in my own spiritual life. Here goes – “[Lord allow me to] be filled with the full (deep and clear) knowledge of [Your] will in all spiritual wisdom [in comprehensive insight into [Your] ways and purposes] and in understanding and discernment of spiritual things; that [I] may walk (live and conduct [myself]) in a manner worthy of [You], fully pleasing to [You] and desiring to please [You] in all things, bearing fruit in every good work and steadily growing and increasing in and by the knowledge of [You][with fuller, deeper, and clearer insight, acquaintance, and recognition]. Colossians 1:9b-10 (Amplified)…sooooo good!!