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
I have heard it said that the most successful people in the room are not the most talented, but rather those who keep going no matter what, refusing to give up despite opposition or difficulties. This was certainly the case with Nehemiah and the people of Israel as they rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem. Despite opposition and exhaustion, they kept going, refusing to give up.
We left off in our Bible study in Nehemiah 4 yesterday with Nehemiah encouraging the people of Jerusalem to remember God and keep building the walls of Jerusalem despite the opposition they faced. After Nehemiah's speech, they had a decision to make: Would they keep going or quit? Trusting Nehemiah’s leadership, they kept going. Here is what Nehemiah said about their response to his speech. He said, “We worked early and late, from sunrise to sunset. And half the men were always on guard” (verse 21). Nehemiah and the rest of the people of Jerusalem refused to quit, even when their enemies tried to stop them. They kept going, knowing that their goal of rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem was too important to quit.
When it comes to persevering and refusing to give up, the apostle Paul also set a remarkable example for us. He faced much persecution for spreading the name of Christ, but he never stopped making Christ known everywhere he went. After all, spreading the name of Christ everywhere was his divine burden. Even from prison for preaching and teaching about Jesus, he persevered. In the book of Philippians that he wrote from prison, he wrote these words, “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” (Philippians 3:14). Paul refused to stop making Christ known, focusing solely on His goal: to tell everyone about Jesus. Focusing on his eternal goal, to see more people come to know Christ, gave him perseverance. He knew that his goal was too important to quit or give up. As a result, he persevered.
As we set out to make Christ known, there will be times when we want to give up. We will be tired and overwhelmed by the obstacles against us. In those moments, we must remember our goal. We must remember the divine burdens God placed on our hearts. As we focus on God and the burdens He has given us, we will be reminded of why we set out to act on our burdens in the first place. Like Nehemiah and Paul, we, too, must press on. The work God has given us is too significant to give up!
Write the words “Press on” on a notecard and place that notecard somewhere you will see it often. Let these words be a reminder to you not to give up, especially when it comes to the divine burden God has given you. Refuse to quit, knowing that the call that He has given you is too important to walk away from.
Prayer Prompt: Use this prompt to guide you as you pray
God, as I press on to act on my divine burden, guide me to…”
Philippians 3:1-21
1Whatever 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.
2 Watch out for those dogs, those people who do evil, those mutilators who say you must be circumcised to be saved. 3 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, 4 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!
5 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. 6 I was so zealous that I harshly persecuted the church. And as for righteousness, I obeyed the law without fault.
7 I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. 8 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 9 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. 10 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, 11 so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!
12 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. 13 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, 14 I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.
15 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. 16 But we must hold on to the progress we have already made.
17 Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example. 18 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. 19 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. 20 But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. 21 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.
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