If you have young children in your life, you likely hear the question, “Why?” While parents in the throes of parenthood grow weary of answering the question, “Why?” is a fair question. Understanding “why” motivates us in many ways. It keeps us going when we want to quit. It reminds us why we started our endeavors in the first place. This is particularly true when it comes to our faith. When we face difficult times and hardships, sometimes we need a reminder to keep going in our faith. We need to ask ourselves why we began following Jesus and why we continue to follow Jesus. The answer to this question will motivate us to keep following Jesus in all circumstances.
The apostle Paul is an example for us of someone who understood why he continued to follow Christ, even amidst the persecution and hardships he faced because of his faith in Christ. In Philippians 3, he wrote about his greatest desire, saying, “Everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord… 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” (verses 8-11). More than anything, Paul wanted to know Christ and experience eternal life with Him. That was his focus and goal. Because of this, Paul persevered. He wrote, "I press on to reach the end of the race and receive that heavenly prize with God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us" (verse 14). Because Paul understood his goal, he kept pursuing his faith, living for Christ above all else. Paul understood why he shared the message of Christ amidst persecution, and that purpose encouraged him to keep going in his faith.
The question we have to ask ourselves is, why do we persevere in our faith, especially when life is difficult? If we are followers of Christ, like Paul, we, too, want to “know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised Him from the dead” (verse 10). Each one of us wants to experience life with Christ. That, my friends, is why we persevere, regardless of our circumstances. May we keep following Jesus and persevere, remembering why we follow Him, to experience Him and the eternal life that He offers.
Memorize Philippians 3:14 today. Let this passage of Scripture remind you why you follow and serve Jesus. Let it focus your mind and center your heart on Him and His kingdom. Keep your eyes on Him and the reward awaiting all who follow Him.
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.
