Dave’s Monday Blast – January 29, 2024

Last week we began to unpack a passage from Philippians 3. Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the Apostle Paul opens a window into his soul by sharing the one desire that superseded all others, i.e. to be willing to give up everything for Him (vv. 7 & 8), and by declaring the primary goal of his very life was to know Him personally and experientially (v. 10).

This week we discover how Paul whole-heartedly pursued his desire and his goal (vv. 13 – 14). “Forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

Pastor Charles Stanley comments: “Paul uses the imagery of a race as a strategy to accomplish his goal and to fulfill his one desire; to make forward progress, you can’t carry baggage from the past (Hebrews 12:1). Former accomplishments trip you up with pride, while failures and regret drag you down. Instead, run unencumbered, stretching forward with all your might to reach the finish line.”

Did Paul succeed in achieving his goal? Listen to his last recorded words, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness” (2 Timothy 4:7 – 8). 

Stanley closed his blog with this: “Wouldn’t you like to finish life like this, having set a goal of eternal value that you pursued with all your heart from year to year? It’s never too late to begin. Ask God for a fresh start. Relinquish any old baggage.