I Press. Philippians 3:13-14. “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended; but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” A very determined look in the eye; the muscles are flexing well, and the face of the athlete is set toward the goal. There has been constant training, and the preparation time was long. Paul spent three years in Arabia, time at home in Tarsus, and learning to work with others in Antioch. Then, the time arrived for the athlete to leave everything else behind in order to strive for the victor’s crown. His stride is firm as he takes him to places he has never gone before. Sometimes, his run is in his hometown, and other times, it takes him to distant lands with different languages and cultures. Occasionally, serious opposition arises, and attempts on his life are made, but this athlete is quite different from most; he is willing to give his life for the sake of the Gospel. This man of God had been running for years, and his race was almost over. He had been running the race set before him for the salvation of souls. His race was not a casual one for fun or for the praise of men. It took him to great cities; he had been imprisoned at times. His motivation was God's high calling and sharing the message of salvation by grace alone with others.
He did not focus on past achievements in various places to gain credit or try to earn people's sympathy. His goal was to reach those he had not yet seen for the Lord and to bring them into God's kingdom. His motivation was to live for future rewards, not to rest on previous victories. The constant goal before him was to achieve rewards that will last forever.
I seek to learn from the examples of those spiritual athletes of long ago. It feels like I am not making much progress, and my feet are always getting slower. I need God’s help and power to keep my face turned toward the prize. Sometimes, it almost seems like the goal is right in front of me, and then the Lord opens the way for me to go further. By God’s grace and the examples of those who ran a very good race, I will strive to keep pressing on until I see my Savior’s face. When this race is finally over, and all the teammates are at home, we will praise the One who called us to run and give Him our crown.