August 7, 2019 -- Philippians 3:13b-14 -- What is the Prize of Your Life?

But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead. I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 3:13b-14 English Standard Version

One tangible way in which the move to Moncton has benefited me is the renewed commitment to jogging and getting physically fit. So, a couple of times a week I strap on the running shoes and take an early morning jog. Recently I have been varying my route and find the challenge keeps me focused. This morning I took a fairly familiar route. Here is my mistake: I mistook familiar for easier. Because I’d taken this route faithfully for the first month, going back to it I assumed it’d be easy. No matter what 6 km is 6 km—just because I know the way doesn’t mean it will require less focus, or less energy or effort.

The goal of the Christian’s life is to know Jesus Christ. God calls us upward—out of the death-spirals of this culture and away from the maddening crowd’s conformity to the things that lead away from God. It is easy to mistake the familiarity of the upward call for ease. We forget the effort it takes to truly engage in pursuing the goal of knowing Jesus. Let me explain.

One of the best ways of pressing forward into the upward call of God is to read the Bible. Yet it is the easiest thing to neglect. Because we are somewhat familiar with the Bible, we guess it is easy. It doesn’t require our focus, taking thought and time to move away from the distractions of life and get to a place and space where our minds can really concentrate on what we are reading and Who is the great prize of our lives.

Or consider prayer—again—this is the great gift of God for building up our relationship with Him. Yet we can mistake familiarity with prayer as something that is therefore easy. It is not. The moment we begin to pray, the phone will ring, or a text message will come in, or your spouse will need help with something. As with Bible reading, so with prayer—take the time, away from the rush of the day and clamour of the urgent and speak with and listen to the Living God. This is what it looks like to press forward, straining against the mundane and ordinary things which would pull us from a growing, soul-enriching, walk with God.

Remind me this day, Living God, that You are the Prize of the soul and the abiding Joy of the believer’s life. With the Psalmist I sigh: “Oh, that my ways may be steadfast in keeping Your statutes!” By the powerful presence of Your Spirit, renew my zeal and commitment to spend time reading the Bible and speaking with You. Even as I am praying this, I feel the pressure of the day’s demands and the edges of my thoughts are already drifting to other projects and things. Spirit of Wisdom and Power, revive my heart and imagination as I contemplate Jesus Christ and all He did, and is doing for His followers. Spirit of Glory, fill my thoughts with the future, the prize of eternity knowing God better and more fully in the new heavens and the new earth. Amen.