Philippians 3 - 3.2.26

Scripture

Philippians‬ ‭3‬:‭13‬-‭14‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“Brothers and sisters, 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.”

Observation

In his letter to the Philippian Church, Paul is encouraging them to press onward, to continue to grow in their faith, and walk with Jesus. Paul is telling them to leave all their past failures and accomplishments behind. Their goal should be primarily focused on knowing Jesus more and making Him known. They should not be content in their faith, but instead yearn to grow in their faith each and every day. Don’t stop! Keep going until the day the Lord calls you home.

Application

Job’s Not Finished.

It’s a quote made famous by Kobe Bryant. When his team was just 2 wins away from winning the championship, a reporter asked Kobe why he wasn’t smiling or happier. Kobe replied, “Job’s not finished.” You see, Kobe understood that to win the championship series, (which was a best of 7 game series), his team needed to be the first to win 4 games, not just 2. So why should he be happy? He or his team have not yet accomplished their goal.

I believe that is the exact message Paul was trying to get across here as well. We as Christians shouldn’t be content with just having our salvation in Jesus. If that were the case and if that was the endgame, God would have snatched us up into Heaven the moment we put our faith and trust in Jesus. But, life goes on. The job’s not finished. We as Christians should aim to be more like Jesus each and every day. We are to love God wholeheartedly, love people, and make disciples. Sounds familiar right? It should. It’s our church’s Mission Statement and we as a Church should continue to press forward. Let’s use those gifts, talents, time, and finances that God has blessed us with to continue to build God’s Kingdom. Let’s continue to grow in our faith and walk with Jesus until the day He calls us home. Then, we will all get to celebrate a job well done once we are there. 😊

“And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.” -Colossians‬ ‭2‬:‭6‬-‭7‬ 

“This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.”-Ephesians‬ ‭4‬:‭13‬ 

Prayer

Dear Jesus, I pray that we may never be content in our walk with You. May we strive each day to grow spiritually and be perfect the way You are. And although we will fall short, may we not look back, but instead press forward. May You pick us up during those times. May You please forgive us when we do fall short and may You set us back on the right course. Help us to fight the good fight and finish this race well until we see You in Heaven. In Your Holy and Precious Name I pray, Amen.🙏🏽 

-Moses Gaddi