Pressing Onward

"Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching 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

If anyone had reason to believe he had "made it", it was the Apostle Paul. A great evangelist, church planter, exhorter, mentor. Paul did it all and did it well. But after all his years of faithful service, he did not see himself as having been transformed into the image of Christ -- of knowing "Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death" (Philippians 3:10). He didn't elaborate on where he didn't measure up, he simply stated that he hadn't yet arrived. Paul always sought to grow in his faith, to press on toward everything to which Christ had called him. And the closer he grew to Christ, the more humble he became. He is a wonderful role model for how we should approach the Christian life. In humility, always pressing forward to the goal of our calling, but never looking back in discouragement at where we've missed the mark. "The Christian life isn’t a 100 yard dash; it’s a lifelong marathon. You need the mentality of a long-distance runner if you’re going to make it. You may have been a Christian for 40 or 50 years, but you can’t start thinking, 'I don’t need to grow any more' and stop running. Long distance runners have to complete the entire course; they can’t decide after many miles that they’ve run far enough." -- Pastor Steven J. Cole