Pressing On

“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.” - Philippians 3:13-14 
 
If you are chasing God’s best for you, I just want to stop and say, GOOD FOR YOU! You are smack-dab in the middle of God’s will for your life. You are being obedient and pursuing what He wants for your life. It is an amazing journey that will reap rewards greater than anything you could ever gain on your own!

And while it is an incredible journey, I do want to warn you: not every step of the way will be easy. You might have already figured that out. You might be in the middle of a difficult step right now. If so, I want you to remember what Paul said in Philippians 3:13-14.
 
He said, “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.”

Did you catch it? He said, “I PRESS ON to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize...” What does that mean…to press on? It means that even when things get difficult, even when the situation is discouraging, even when people are telling him to quit or give up, he stays focused on what God has called him to do.
 
See, the world won’t always make it easy for you. As you pursue God, you will face many temptations. Whether it is people, places, things, environments, circumstances, or opportunities, you will be tempted to turn away from what God has for you and embrace what others have for you.

But Paul remained focused on what God had for him; he “pressed on.” He understood the heavenly prize was far greater than any earthly prize. If you want to receive the heavenly prize, stay focused! Press on and stay attentive to what God is telling you!