Forgetting and Straining

Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on towards the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. Philippians 3:13-15

You are an athlete, and you are in the race of your life. This time you aim for gold! What does the athlete do? According to this verse, it all comes down to: "This one thing I do, pressing toward the prize of the high calling in Christ Jesus". That's it. What, that's it?? Just aim for the finishing line, and Paul confirms that this is enough for God and Heaven's entry. Sounds simple, doesn't it. Not a lot of other things to bog you down.

Let's look at it from another angle. As with any other Olympic race, there are some things the athlete does NOT do. He/she doesn't:

>Look at the crowd of spectators at the side of the race. Some may not be Christians, but they are watching how you run this race. You don’t run to please them, but your Heavenly Father.

>Look at, or concentrate on, the men and yes women who may be in front leading the pack. Perhaps they are straining even more muscle and sinew than you are, and so deserve their place. The aim is not to win, just finish well.

>Look at the ones who are level with him/her because they are brothers and sisters in Christ, and they are your encouragement, not the opposition. You can’t compare yourself because you are all in this race together.

>Turn round and look at those you are faster and better than. The end result can come down to pride because you are ahead, and pride comes before a fall. The ones behind are still in the race, and like you, their aim is to finish.

>The last thing a runner in this race does NOT do is check out any of the runners, or the spectators, to see if they should be anywhere near this race. The sincere runner is too busy straining, and looking forward to the end goal so that he/she cannot afford to look around to check on everyone’s eligibility. That is not our job. They are all there for a reason and by God’s sovereign will, whether in the race or on the sidelines. We must get used to that idea, and not take our eyes away from the goal, or our attention from the prize!

The athlete's focus in this, the most important race of his life, is to finish. It is not acceptable to stop, falter or faint on the way, because then it is impossible to finish. It is also worth remembering that even the Apostle Paul hadn’t reached the goal. He was there in the race striving, just like you and me.