I’m not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don’t get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back. Philippians 3:12-14 MSG
Today we announced our theme for 2021; Moving Towards God, For the Journey Of A Lifetime. Today’s passage is also our theme passage, because it’s so honest and on point, which are things we are in desperate need of. So often we read a passage and only see the surface, but when we mediatate on it, there is such depth and more insight than we can imagine.
Look at what Paul says first, he doesn’t have it all together, nor that everything is going his way. Wait, the apostle Paul, the one who wrote 13 (possibly 14 if we include Hebrews) out of 27 books in the New Testament. The one who made the book of Acts read like an adventure novel; is saying he doesn’t have his life all together. That is correct! But read on, he doesn’t let that hinder him, the next thing he says is, he’s on his way, and his motivation is reaching out to Jesus, because Jesus reached out to him and his life has never been the same.
He goes on again to remind the Philippians that he’s learning too as he’s on this journey to become more like Jesus. He closes with a what I like to call a bookend statement of this passage. He’s running towards God and because of what he sees and has experienced, he’s not going back to where he began.
How about you, have you begun a journey with Jesus? Are you still as passionate as when you first started? Are you continuing to keep your eyes on Jesus Who reached out for you and continues to do so? Or are you running along and all of a sudden you begin to question and wonder if you had only done things differently and before you know it, you’ve turned yourself around with the shoulda, woulda, coulda’s. Your eyes are off of Jesus and on your circumstances or the consequences of your choices. Beloved one, stop and remind yourself of how Paul begins, admitting he doesn’t have it all together and then says it again. And like him, we don’t need to let our setbacks keep us back. We need to take Paul’s lead, and know it isn’t about us, it’s about what Jesus has already done and He’s calling us to follow Him. Let’s be like Paul and forget what is behind, and look forward to the amazing things God has set before us as we journey along with Jesus.
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