“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.” - Philippians 3:13-14 (NIV)
The more time goes on, the more I realize our faith will never peak in this lifetime. There’s never going to be a final answer of “yes” to our question of “are we there yet God?” God knew when He made us that we’d never have it all figured out. He did this to keep us humble and dependent on Him for the strength, wisdom and guidance we need every day. And while we’ll never meet our final destination of growth as long as we’re still breathing, we can still run the race to get closer to where God wants us to be. Here are some practical ways we can “press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called us.”
-
Prayer and Listening - It’s a lot easier for us to talk to God than it is for us to hear what He tells us. Make the time and room to HEAR God speak as much as you talk.
-
Patience - If you’re like me, you love a quick fix and positive progress check. However, there will be some areas of our life that may take years, or even a lifetime to see what God has planned to bring to fruition. Stay patient and humble that God’s plans outlive yours.
-
Practice - While practice may not make perfect in the case of our faith, it will make better. Even if you stumble or fail, keep getting up, knowing that God can make even your failures or letdowns beautiful.
-
Pursuit - As if Jesus is your pacer in the marathon of life, keep your eyes fixed on His number, staying in stride with His pace. If we’re pursuing God, He will make our paths straight.
Whether we’re feeling high and mighty or low and unworthy, may we remember today that our lives are not a quick sprint to perfection. They’re a long race of sanctification that Christ has set before us; a scatter plot of high and low points that average upwards to our eternity with God in heaven.
Weekly Challenge: Focus on walking the road God is leading you down one day of growth at a time.