Press On

​Philippians 3:13-14 “No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.” ~NLT

“This year is going to be like every other year.”  “Why set goals or resolutions when I’ll only quit anyway?” “This year is here, and it doesn’t feel any different than last year, or the year before that!” Do we find ourselves feeling this way? Do we find ourselves saying these things? If so, stop it. It is a mindset and a learned behavior to give up. It is learned because God did not create us to be quitters. God did not put us in a world that can defeat us. I want to take the time and share that we need to abandon the feeling of ‘giving up’!

So, what if this time in our lives doesn’t feel different. Feeling is of the flesh. What does your spirit tell you? Even if you haven’t spent enough time with the Lord yet, as weak as your spirit may be, ask it, “Is this our time?” The spirit will intervene for you and allow God to know that you are ready!

In the text Paul is saying he has not achieved what God has created him to do yet, but he will press on. Regardless of what the world has shown him, regardless of what past events have set in his heart, he knows this time, this new day will be different. He knows this because he is a new creation and anything that has happened before this day, is old and he is excitedly ready to receive the new! (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Understand that it doesn’t matter if you think you have had ‘bad luck’ all your life. Trade in the ‘luck’ for Jesus! You see luck is when the world throws you a bone. But Jesus has already won the battle and victory is yours already! It has nothing to do with luck. We must do as Paul said and ‘press on!’

We do this because our paths have already been laid out.  God has already created us according to His plans, His will, and His way. We must establish the godly relationship with Him so that we will know exactly where to travel on this path. Because in the end, God will reward us for being obedient. 

Paul says in the text that he will press on to, “…reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.” There is no doubt about God’s love for us. His promises are true and available to all who love Him.  We must press on in obedience, press on in our godly relationship with Him and press on believing in what we don’t see because God is in control.

We may not think we are worthy, but we are. We may not think our lives have meaning but they do. We think this because we are only physically looking.  We must spiritually seek. Know that it is the power of Jesus in us that He has chosen us to do His will. Paul says in verse 12, “I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me.” 

God loved us so much that He sacrificed His one and only Son. It is that Son who ‘pressed on’ for our salvation.  It is that Son, who’s perfection possessed us. Now we must embrace that possession and press on with the power of Jesus in us!

May God continue to bless you in the name of His Son Jesus Christ,

Amen!

Blessings,
Billy

---