Where do you think you are as a Christian?  That is an important question because our assessment of ourselves spiritually usually determines how committed to the Lord we are.  Some believe that they are such good Christians that there is hardly any room for improvement.  Paul, who was one of the greatest Christians ever, never viewed himself in such a way.  His humility and honest assessment of himself spiritually were very evident in Philippians three.

Philippians 3:12-14 (ESV)
¹²  Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. ¹³  Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, ¹⁴  I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Paul knew he had not yet obtained his ultimate desire, which was to be with Christ (Philippians 1:23), so he continued to press forward.  This included being the best Christian he could be by constantly laboring in the Lord.  Do you think that Paul would have continued to press on like he did if he believed he was already the best he could ever be?  I do not think so.

A part of Paul’s success going forward was forgetting what was behind him.  While he was humbled by the mistakes he made in the past, especially as they related to the persecution of saints (1 Corinthians 15:9), he did not allow it to paralyze him mentally, stopping him from doing the Lord’s work.

Paul teaches us not to live in the past.  The past might be a good place to visit in our minds from time to time, but to live there only serves to stop us from going forward.  While we can learn from past mistakes, we should always remember that we have been forgiven for them.

When Paul said, “I press on toward the goal for the prize…,” he was giving us a good pattern to follow for our own lives.  The words “I press” come from a present tense verb in the active voice meaning, “I keep on pressing.”  Paul did not allow anything in life, good or bad, to stop him from pursuing his main purpose.  He wanted to gain the prize of heaven, and he would not be denied.  In 2 Corinthians 11, we learn that being whipped, beaten with rods, and even stoned would not stop Paul from pressing on toward the goal.  What a great example for us to follow.

Think of some things that you have allowed to stop you from pressing toward the goal in the past and determine not to let it happen again.  Whether those things have come from outside sources or from within, make up your mind that you are going to forget about the past and strain forward to what lies ahead.  Once you make that the pattern of your life, you will be unstoppable.  The devil will have to just get out of your way.

I am convinced that the goal that Paul was pressing toward was Jesus Himself.  Throughout the text, he spoke of the benefit of gaining and knowing Christ, and of the righteousness that could be obtained through faith in Him.  Paul knew what we should know—the prize of heaven after a while is obtained only by those who gain Christ now.

Let us learn from these principles Paul taught to the brethren at Philippi.  Let us walk after the pattern of Paul’s life (1 Corinthians 11:1).  As long as we keep on pressing, nothing will stand in the way of our reaching the goal and receiving the prize.

As you wind down for the night, think about these things.