Press On

"...I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them all but rubbish that I may gain Christ ... that I may know Him ... Not that I have already obtained it or become perfect, but I press on so that I may laid hold of that for which also was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on..." Philippians 3:8, 10, 12-14

Behold one of my favorite Scripture passages. These verses are simply amazing, and they speak deeply to me, giving purpose and vision for life, sufferings, past scars, and future glory.

In view of what I have shared with you in the past two posts (first and second), I wanted to fully clarify the profound biblical attitude we are called to have in respect to past scars and hardships. I feel that sometimes I can convince myself to be thankful for the scars I bear, but truthfully I fool myself and bury the sincere regret and bitterness towards past pain, harsh words, trapping conflict, and physical marring instead of embracing the joyful attitude we are called to have in Christ.

For some of us, it is really tough to let go of the past mistakes and painful events and rejoice in the future. What happened to us hurt... really bad. How can we just forget about that and say, "Oh yes, I am so thankful for my scars..." without feeling deceptive and fake?

These verses hold the strength and hope we look for.

We must pray and strive for the upward attitude Paul possessed to be able to utter such profound words. He viewedeverything as loss, as nothing, in view of the surpassing value - the exceeding worth - of knowing Jesus Christ. Paul definitely had reasons to boast and he certainly had reasons to be ashamed. But it didn't matter anymore. He viewed knowing Jesus as the chief treasure and prize of living life, suffering hardships, and living in victory.

Paul wasn't perfect, and neither are we, but there is only one thing we can do to obtain holy perfection and godly maturity: PRESS ON. Forget what lies behind and reach forward with all you have, and press on. Whatever is holding you back, whether it be your scars, or past failures, or present defeat, lay it at the cross and surrender whatever it is to Christ. Then get up and walk away - and persevere.

The verse does not simply say, "Now just forget about what lies behind." God gives us further and needed direction: "Reach forward to what lies ahead, and press on!" This is an entirely different mental course. It is as if you stop looking back over your shoulder and turn your head to focus and reach for what is in front of you, to what lies ahead.

"And let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus..." (Heb. 12:1-2)

This is my encouragement to you dear friends... press on in this life of faith. Don't keep looking back. Look ahead. Look at Jesus.