Philippians 3:12-14
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.
I have a confession to make. The words that I write down five days each week for this E-Votional do not come easily. My mind is always searching for an inspiration from the Lord as to what to write. Many times (if not most of the time) my inspiration comes from a passage of Scripture I have read; other times it springs from a memory of things long past, and still others come from observation of events that happen around me.
Do you know what the hardest part is? Simply to GET STARTED! There are always so many distractions and demands on my time that it is easy to put off the more essential tasks. (I am sure you have never had that problem. Cough! Cough!) If by chance you have suffered the same malady, there is hope for all of us.
I see at least two things that Paul urges us to do in order to get started in our walk with the Lord. The first is to forget. Amazing isn’t it? He wants us to forget the things that are past. I think that is because we cannot relive them, and to spend time dwelling on them will only take our minds off our spiritual objective: to please the Lord.
The second thing Paul urges is for us to strain for what is ahead. In your mind you can visualize a runner straining to reach the goal line, his body leaning forward to be able to cross the finish line victoriously. GET STARTED!
God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil