A Run Through Philippians-Who Wants To WIN???

I once heard a preacher give a wonderful analogy on spiritual hunger.

He said that out in a field lay a pebble and next to it a 10,000 litre open-top water drum. One day the skies burst open with torrential rain catching both the pebble and the tank unawares. After the rain stopped a man passing by came across the pebble and asked, “Sir, what was your experience in yesterday’s downpour?” The pebble being small in size and having no capacity to hold water replied rather nonchalantly, “Well, I caught a few drops of rain on me but as soon as the sun came out, I dried up pretty quickly.” 

The man moved on to the 10,000 litre water tank and asked the same question. “Oh my God, you should have seen me! It poured cats and dogs and I caught much water. I am almost full to the brim as you can see. That was the most exciting experience I have had!”

The man walked away pondering at how the same amount of rain could elicit such divergent views. One with little capacity to ‘catch’ the rain is unimpressed while another with much greater capacity to trap and retain rainwater is exhilarated. 

Such is the experience of different individuals. God pours his precious Spirit in our hearts the same way. Some ‘catch’ God’s vision for their lives in a big way while the undiscerning ones plod on as if nothing much happened. They are just glad to have secured themselves a place heaven. In the end they achieve very little of the things God has planned for them.
 Those with little capacity pass by like a wisp of smoke in the evening breeze. Conversely, those with a greater hunger and thirst for the things of God achieve much by receiving an ever increasing portion of God’s spiritual power. 

Of his own experience Paul writes to the Philippians.

¹⁰ I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, ¹¹ and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.

¹² Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. ¹³ Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, ¹⁴ I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.^Phil.3:10-14

In this passage he uses the phrase ‘press on’ twice. He then emphasizes it with the phrase ‘straining toward’  just to be sure that you get the point. Paul wants to impress upon us that his life as a follower of Jesus is not passive, rather he is constantly pushing himself to achieve certain godly goals. He is neither lax nor relaxed about his faith. Like one seeking a promotion in the market-place, he is constantly going the extra mile to please God by his performance. 
In his letter to the Ephesians he urged them to find out what it is that pleases God and then to do it. 
^Eph.4:8-10 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light ⁹ (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) ¹⁰ and find out what pleases the Lord.

 Two questions arise from this passage but before we consider them let me tell you a short story.

 The other day as we were going to church my wife sat quietly beside me on the passenger seat as my son looked out the window lost in his own thoughts. My 5 year old daughter was yapping about this and that as we moved along. Her talk was so varied and the thoughts so unconnected that I just assumed it was one of those things women need to do-talk, talk and talk. Suddenly she zeroed in on her mom. 

“Mum, can I ask you a question?" 

I immediately sensed that this one question would become a string of questions until we got out of the car so I fully understood my wife when she answered,

"No, I really don't feel like answering questions now, can we do this after church. I only feel like meditating before church."

Daughter: "Mum, do you know my most favorite person in all the earth?"

She asked so sweetly that I couldn't help but smile. I was also hoping she would say its me (or Jesus maybe?)

Meanwhile mom is quiet.

Daughter: " Mum, I love you sooo much"

Mum is still quiet-perhaps meditating. 

Daughter: "Mum, do you know you are my most favorite person in all the wide wide world!"

I am sorely disappointed that it's not me. I really wanted to 'win' this one even though I was just a passive listener.

Well, this conversation is not exactly related to this study but I thought you should know how my daughter asks questions(and how she disappointed me😖). 

Now lets get onto the more pressing questions.

1.     Why does Paul press on?

Paul knows that one day Christians will be judged. It will not be a judgement to determine their eternal destiny. No, that is determined right here on earth.

 ^{John 5:24} “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.

^{John 3:18} Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. 

Paul knows that the Father will one day hand out prizes to the best performers on earth. If in doubt read Jesus' parable in Matthew 25 about the talents(bags of gold) given to three servants. How does this come about?
We have been shaped (or are being shaped) by God to do works which He predetermined for us to do. These works feed into his broader agenda for this world and for the world to come. You see my friend, in the same place that the bible announces so clearly that salvation is by faith alone in Jesus Christ is the same place it states; ^{Eph. 2:10} For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

In this life we can:

- miss these jobs that God has designed for us or,

- do them half-heartedly or poorly, 

-or we can do them in the best possible way as directed by God’s Spirit.

 The result is that some will be rewarded more than others in heaven as illustrated in the parable of the servants and the talents (Matthew 25). In heaven some will have greater privileges than others. Do not be among those who will rue their time on earth. It is all up to you; you can choose to be the pebble or the 10,000 litre tank in this regard.

Paul’s philosophy was that at any one time he would adopt spiritual best-practice (if ever there was such a thing). In one of his church letters he wrote;

²⁴ Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. ²⁵ Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.²⁶ Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air.

2.    How does he press on?

                               i.            He knows that we are in a race. It is a race to be the best in your field. He wants to be the winner. 1 Corinthians 9:24-27

                            ii.            This is an interesting race because inasmuch as it encompasses all saints from Old Testament days, you are actually running your own race marked out for you by God. ….And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us…Heb.12:1

                         iii.            He knows his race. However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace. ^{Acts 20:24}

Paul knew he was designed to evangelize and disciple. Yours could be acts of mercy or generosity to the poor, praying for others, offering your professional skills/influence to facilitate church or ministry work etc.  
-Do you know the works God has predetermined for you?
-Have you taken time to reflect and pursue what God has planned for you? 
-Are you showcasing the goodness of God through your excellence and zeal?

                          iv.            He does not waste time riding on the after-glow of past achievements. Instead he focuses on what still needs to be done. Philippians 3:13-14

His life was such that towards the end of it he could write;

^{II Tim.4:7} I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

I see this statement in a few obituaries. I always wonder whether the dead person would agree that the statement is indeed true for them. 

One of the great fears I have in life is that by the time my days are fully numbered I may not want anyone to write on my obituary II Timothy 4:7. But I choose not to rest on my laurels. Neither will I be paralysed with the complexities of this life. 

I press on, I strain and I try my level best to do what Paul did. 

26 Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. 27 No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

Are you doing the same?Do you want to win?