I’ve been reading in Philippians this week and was struck by this passage:
Philippians 3:12-14
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.
It is usually quite easy for me to remember that I have not yet attained perfection. It is not always so easy for me to remember to keep looking forward. When I read this, I wonder why exactly Paul talks about forgetting the past – is he alluding to his history as a persecutor of the church? Did he ever become discouraged doing God’s work when he remembered his part in arresting and executing Christians before his conversion? Or did Paul need to turn his back on the past because it could tempt him towards complacency? After all, he had planted numerous churches and preached in many cities, he faced death threats and jail time and slander all without shirking. Perhaps if he thought about everything he had already done for God he worried he’d lose some of the fire to press on. Continue reading “Looking Forward”