Brothers, 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 3:13-14
There is too often too little straining in my life for heaven’s rewards and too often too much preoccupation with the stuff of earth. Yet I find in Paul an amazing role model. Second only to Christ, we find in Paul the most Godly of Christians, the most accomplished of evangelists, the most impactful of leaders. And at a time of life when he should be thinking of retirement, of coasting, of enjoying the fruits of his labors, what is he doing? Straining. Pressing. Longing. I wonder if anyone ever spoke with Paul about his self-care? “Come on, buddy, you can’t go on like this. You’re gonna burnout. Surely, if anyone deserves to sit back, relax, and sip an umbrella drink on a sandy shore, it’s you!” So, where do we find Paul as he writes this missive? Locked up. Jailed. Imprisoned. Not exactly the Bahamas. Why is he in such dire straits? Because the man refused to stop preaching the Gospel of Christ. Paul was consumed with the agenda of Jesus. Then there’s me. What consumes me? My things to do list. Some of it has a Kingdom-focus. But much of it has to do with what I want—my comfort, my pleasure, my stuff. With what result? I marginalize or even neglect the kingdom agenda of a holy God reconciling humanity to Himself—the very agenda Jesus passed on to all of his followers, including me. It is for this reason that I need Paul’s challenge in Philippians 3:12 and following. After expressing longing to know Christ and His resurrection in the first half of this chapter, Paul reveals that he has not attained this prize, but still strains ahead for heaven’s rewards. How? By setting aside earthly-minded striving after temporal, selfish desires and actively, even sacrificially, pursuing the things of the Kingdom of Heaven. The words Paul uses to describe those who are earthly-minded in verse 19 are evocative, “Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things.” What an apt description of our world. Their god is their stomach! Certainly, this applies to our obsession with food. But Paul isn’t just thinking along culinary and gastric lines here. He uses the most basic of earthly urges, food, to represent the various urges which drive us each and every day. Urges reflect our longings and become our agendas. I cannot help but think of the saddening story of a woman killed in the wee hours of the morning on a busy Seattle-street recently. As if a car hitting and killing a pedestrian were not tragic enough, it was rendered even more tragic by the fact that she was not hit by just one car, but by multiple cars. Worst of all, no one stopped. Even when other pedestrians ventured into the roadway to protect her…drivers refused to stop. What a picture of the destructive impact of the pursuit of self-centered agendas, whether its achieving the next high or getting to work on time. Not all earthly agendas have such tragic results. In fact, many of our agendas are laced with good and beneficial things. It’s the recreation we invest time and energy in that allows for increased emotional and physical health. It’s the aspirations we have which center around our family and produce healthier, more well-adjusted members of society. It’s the enjoyment of simple pleasures that bring smiles to our faces and joy to our hearts. Certainly, such agendas can be very good and beneficial. The problem is when such agendas become our gods, the gods we allow to subvert our submission to the God who made us. According to Paul, it is the agenda of the Kingdom that is supreme. Of course, this concept didn’t originate with him. We see it in the simple, powerful words of Jesus in Matthew 6:33, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” God loves to bless us with good things on this earth. However, we must not let the good things overtake the best things. What are the best things? To know Christ (Phil. 3:8-10; Luke 10:38-42) and to make Him known (1 Cor. 9:19-23; Matt. 28:19-20). Brothers and sisters, let us strain together, press on together, grow together, in the relentless pursuit of the prize for which God has called us heavenward. Let us enjoy the good things of this earth, those that are beneficial and pleasing to God our Maker, but let them be secondary to the greater work of Christ and His Kingdom. Why? Because “our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Phil. 3:20). “Amen! Come, Lord Jesus” (Rev. 22:20).
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Dan GannonDan has ministered at Renton Bible Church, with his wife Debbie, since 2003. Archives
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