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
Artists, musicians, Olympic athletes, and business executives have at least one thing in common: each one of them takes their time and talents very seriously. They often practice and work hard at their skills, dedicating many, many hours to become great. They know that their time is precious and that their gifts are too valuable to waste. We can all learn from their dedication to their time and their talents. Although we have been given gifts from God, many do not approach these gifts with the same dedication and vigor as these artists, musicians, athletes, and business executives. Our calling to make Christ known is infinitely more valuable!
The apostle Paul knew something about discipline. As you read the many books in the New Testament that he wrote, you will quickly find that he took his time, calling, and gifts seriously. He solely dedicated the latter part of his life to making Christ known to everyone around him. As he considered his life in Philippians 3, he wrote, “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” (verse 12). The attitude Paul demonstrated in this verse expresses hard work and dedication to his calling. Furthering this mindset, Paul wrote, a few verses later, “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). Paul made it abundantly clear that he was dedicated to his calling. He persevered, giving his time and talents so that he could spread the message of Jesus across the world. He focused on his goal without ever looking back. What an example for us to follow!
If the apostle Paul were able to have a conversation with you today, I believe that you would likely be encouraged to persevere after talking with him. You would be encouraged to continue pressing into God’s calling on your life. One way we can do this is by taking God’s calling on our lives seriously. This calls for discipline and dedication, taking the gifts and talents God has given us seriously, and recognizing them as valuable and important as they are. May you and I follow the example of Paul, pressing on toward the goal for which God has called us.
Your challenge today is to make a log of how you spend your time today. Each hour of the day, create a record of what you did. At the end of the day, return to the log. Based on your log, what were you proud of? How did you leverage your gifts from God and the time He has given you to invest in His kingdom? What changes would you like to make going forward? After this evaluation, make a list ahead of time tomorrow on how you will spend each hour of the day, particularly being careful to leverage your time and talents for God and His kingdom. Obviously, things can change, and you may need to make adjustments tomorrow, but use this list as a guide as you go about your day. If you find it helpful, continue this practice throughout the rest of the week! Our time is precious; let’s make the most of it.
Read Philippians 3:12-21(NLT)
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.
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