December 31, 2015 – Philippians 3:14

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 3:14The race and the desire to finish the race is so exciting.  People cheering us on as we speed past.  The race spoken about in Philippians is our life-race.  The prize isn’t a new car or a trophy, it is something money can’t buy.  It is a ticket to heaven, a prize we can’t see… through Jesus Christ our Savior.  We can’t see Jesus either, part of the race is believing, trusting and having faith in Jesus.Those who cheer us on can not be seen either.  They are the witnesses who finished the same race and received the prize for which we are running. Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.  Hebrews 12:1The running in this race isn’t how fast we get there, it is about finishing.  It is about keeping our eye on the goal of living like Jesus wants us to live.This race of life, is not a sprint for a short time.  It is a race that lasts a life time.  As we pass one mile marker, we race for the next one – it is a race unending.  A race for perfection — running perfectly.  The race is not finished until we draw our last breath.I keep running, and forget the near stumbles in the last mile, but look forward always to Jesus.  There are stops a long the way where we can refresh.  One is, Be still and know that I am God…another is…God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God.…and I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.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, Philippians 3:12-13