Focused on the Goal
No, dear brothers and sisters, I am still not all I should be, but I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us up to heaven. Philippians 3:13-14
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World-class sports stars such as cyclist Lance Armstrong, tennis champion Venus Williams, and golfer Tiger Woods have been the subjects of research by people who are trying to determine why they win championships against other athletes who have just as much talent and skill. What is their secret? It’s not just that they set aside distractions and make personal sacrifices in order to practice and hone their skills. It was their ability to stay focused under stress. This verse tells us what the supreme and heavenly prize is and what our focus should be: it’s not winning the Tour de France or Wimbledon, not the U.S. Open or an Olympic gold medal. It’s the greatest prize of all—knowing Christ Jesus and following him as he calls us upward from glory to glory. Let us forget the past, ask for the endurance and strength to finish the race, and focus all our energies on this one thing, this eternal prize!
Prayers:
LORD, help me to keep my eye on the goal, where you are beckoning me upward and onward to Jesus. Keep me from being distracted by the past—my sins and wrong choices have been washed in the blood of Christ. Therefore, grant me grace and strength not to turn back, and even under great stress help me to keep my eyes on the eternal prize—unending life in your glorious presence!
Quotes:
NOT IN THE ACHIEVEMENT, BUT IN THE ENDURANCE OF THE HUMAN SOUL DOES IT SHOW ITS DIVINE GRANDEUR AND ITS ALLIANCE WITH THE INFINITE GOD.
Edwin Hubbel Chapin (1814–1880)
The One Year Bible Readings for today are: Isaiah 66:1-24; Philippians 3:4-21; Psalm 74:1-23 and Proverbs 24:15-16.
