Pressing On

“I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.  Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 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.” (Philippians 3:10-14 NIV)

I returned late last night from a beach retreat for the men in our ministry. Short on sleep and tired from the hours of driving, I awoke really in no mood to write a devotion this morning.  It seemed like a good idea to troll through my archives this morning and find something I could easily send out.  As I was doing so, this passage came to my mind, as did the words “just press on.”  

I can imagine there were many times, in the midst of all his trials and sufferings, Paul just wanted to take the easy path.  I am sure he was tempted to placate the Jewish leaders in order to avoid their wrath, or to recede from public view in order not to draw attention from the Roman government, or just retire from his missionary life and live out his remaining years in relative peace and safety.  

I believe this because he says here that he is “straining” and “pressing on” toward his goal of being united with Jesus in Heaven.  These are words that evoke struggle and resistance, like a long-distance runner in the middle of a race who is tiring but continues his pace, or a hiker climbing over that last ridge at the end of the day who continues to put one foot in front of the other.  The temptation to give up is great, but it is the goal that keeps them going.  

Following Jesus is full of struggle and resistance, both from the inside and out.  If we are not willing to strain and to press on, we will easily give in to the pressures to give up.  For Paul, what kept him going was his goal to please Jesus and to live with Him in Heaven.  He refused to let it go and, as a result, he kept going.

Today, whatever struggles or resistance you are facing, whether from within or without, remember your goal as a follower of Jesus—to stand before Him one day and to hear these words: “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”   Don’t give up!  Keep pressing on!  In the end, you will be so glad you did.

© Jim Musser 2013