Let's Press On!
Hi Friends!
Day 2 of 2018 How have you been doing?
Philippinas 3:7-14 is the Bible passage that Our Daily Bread has for us today and I am reading a new translation to give me fresh eyes as I read these familiar passage. I am also writing some of my observations which I would like to share with you today.
Philippians 3:7-14The Voice (VOICE)
The Voice (VOICE)
The Voice (VOICE)
7 But whatever I used to count as my greatest accomplishments, I’ve written them off as a loss because of the Anointed One. 8 And more so, I now realize that all I gained and thought was important was nothing but yesterday’s garbage compared to knowing the Anointed Jesus my Lord. For Him I have thrown everything aside—it’s nothing but a pile of waste—so that I may gain Him. 9 When it counts, I want to be found belonging to Him, not clinging to my own righteousness based on law, but actively relying on the faithfulness of the Anointed One. This is true righteousness, supplied by God, acquired by faith. 10 I want to know Him inside and out. I want to experience the power of His resurrection and join in His suffering, shaped by His death, 11 so that I may arrive safely at the resurrection from the dead.
The crucified and risen Jesus is the model that Paul desires to embody by walking deep in His pathway of death and life—suffering and resurrection.
12 I’m not there yet, nor have I become perfect; but I am charging on to gain anything and everything the Anointed One, Jesus, has in store for me—and nothing will stand in my way because He has grabbed me and won’t let me go. 13 Brothers and sisters, as I said, I know I have not arrived; but there’s one thing I am doing: I’m leaving my old life behind, putting everything on the line for this mission. 14 I am sprinting toward the only goal that counts: to cross the line, to win the prize, and to hear God’s call to resurrection life found exclusively in Jesus the Anointed.
The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
Observation:
What are the things I observed as I read this passage:
I. Evaluation
Paul's evaluation of his past accomplishments:
All of those accomplishments that before he considered great about himself he now considers nothing in comparison now to the privilege of knowing Jesus Christ
What do we value? We can look at the things we have accomplished in life through God's enabling grace and we are still allowed to pursue those God-given dreams, but we must have the right perspective. They are good to pursue because God has enabled us and given us the passion and energy to do them, but they should pale in comparison to the value and privilege of knowing Jesus Christ personally, intimately and more deeply.
Look at what Paul wanted more of:
1. Knowledge: He wants to know HIm inside and out.. a pursuit that will be unending because there will always be more to know about Jesus.
2. Experience: He wants to experience the power of His resurrection in his life, join in His suffering, shaped by His death
Bottom line: Paul says: "Where it counts, I want to be found belonging to Him, not clinging to my own righteousness..." (or in our case our talents, status, or accomplishments) but actively relying on his faithfulness.
II. Present Assessment
Paul's measured himself as to where he is right now. He said: I am not there yet, The Message renders it this way: I am not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. He is not there yet not that he had arrived: but he also said but I am well on my way.
and because he know where he is at the moment he had devised his plan of action.
III Plan of Action
I AM CHARGING ON to gain anything and everything the Anointed One, Jesus has in store for me and he continues on to say: NOTHING WILL STAND ON MY WAY.
Why does Paul have this kind of FOCUS? It is because "He has grabbed me and won't let me go." Recall how powerfully Jesus Christ grabbed his attention in the road to Damascus!
SPRINTING TO THE FINISH LINE
1. When you are in race you leave everything behind You leave everything that will impede or block your progress
So Paul says: I am leaving my old life behind...I am putting everything I've got on this mission
2. To cross the finish line to win the race to win the prize heavenward to Jesus.
Questions for reflection:
1.How do I see myself and my past accomplishments?
2. What are my goals in 2018 Do they reflect or include the ultimate goal in life of the apostle Paul?
3. How will I pursue my relationship with God this 2018 What will be my course of action?
4. Where will it fit with my other goals in 2018? How do we balance our spiritual goal to our goals from other areas of my life?
Here is today's message from Our Daily Bread:
As I walked past an outside wall of the office building where I work, I was amazed to see a beautiful flower growing up through a crack between concrete slabs covering the ground. Despite its deprived circumstance, the plant had found a foothold, rooted itself in the dry crevice, and was flourishing. Later, I noticed that an air-conditioning unit located directly above the plant dropped water on it throughout the day. While its surroundings were hostile, the plant received the help it needed from the water above.
Growing in the Christian life can sometimes be difficult, but when we persevere with Christ, barriers are surmountable. Our circumstances may be unfavorable and discouragement may seem like an obstacle. Yet if we press on in our relationship with the Lord, we can flourish like that lone plant. This was the experience of the apostle Paul. Despite the severe hardships and challenges he faced (2 Corinthians 11:23–27), he wouldn’t give up. “I . . . take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me,” he wrote. “I press on toward the goal to win the prize” (Philippians 3:12, 14).
This is a day that You have made, Father. Thank You that You’ll be near me in whatever I face today.
God provides the strength we need to press on.
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