I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. Philippians 3:14
Have you ever noticed how much easier it is to complete a hard workout when you have someone there to encourage you? As much as I like to do things on my own, when I have a friend working out with me and encouraging me to keep going, I complete the workout more easily and I even work harder than I would have without that friend. We all need some encouragement at times, especially when it comes to sharing our faith with others. Let me be your encourager today and tell you, "Don't give up! Keep reaching out to your lost friends, even when it is hard, and even when it feels like no progress is being made."
The apostle Paul, the author of numerous books of the New Testament, including Philippians, provides us an excellent model of perseverance. He faced persecution, hardship, sickness, lack of food, and even more hardship. Despite all these things, he never gave up. He continued to preach the gospel and share his faith. As he recounted his life and ministry, Paul wrote, "I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us" (verse 14). After Paul started following Christ, he made it his mission to tell others about Him. Everything he did from that point forward was for the purpose of making Christ known to the world. With white-knuckle intensity, he shared his faith until his very last breath.
Imagine the impact we could have in our world around us if we had the perseverance of Paul. Think about the lives that could be changed if we shared our faith with the same white-knuckle intensity as Paul. What is holding you back? Are you feeling discouraged, tired, or fearful when it comes to reaching those who do not know Christ? Let me be your encourager today. Do not give up, even when it is hard and even when you are tired. You never know what the results of your perseverance may be.
Are you weary and discouraged as you think about the progress you have made sharing your faith? My friend, do not give up! Keep going. Take some time to memorize Philippians 3:14. Whenever you want to give up, bring this verse to mind as a reminder to persevere. Maybe it's time to change your approach. Maybe you need to do something different in order to reach your lost friends and family members. Don't give up. Keep going!
Whatever happens, my dear brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord. I never get tired of telling you these things, and I do it to safeguard your faith.
Watch out for those dogs, those people who do evil, those mutilators who say you must be circumcised to be saved. For we who worship by the Spirit of God are the ones who are truly circumcised. We rely on what Christ Jesus has done for us. We put no confidence in human effort, though I could have confidence in my own effort if anyone could. Indeed, if others have reason for confidence in their own efforts, I have even more!
I was circumcised when I was eight days old. I am a pure-blooded citizen of Israel and a member of the tribe of Benjamin—a real Hebrew if there ever was one! I was a member of the Pharisees, who demand the strictest obedience to the Jewish law. I was so zealous that I harshly persecuted the church. And as for righteousness, I obeyed the law without fault.
I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith. I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!
I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.
Let all who are spiritually mature agree on these things. If you disagree on some point, I believe God will make it plain to you. But we must hold on to the progress we have already made.
Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example. For I have told you often before, and I say it again with tears in my eyes, that there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ. They are headed for destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and they think only about this life here on earth. But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same power with which he will bring everything under his control.
