PRESSING ON
J.S. Taylor
Today's Scripture: “But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13b-14, ESV
Theme: Don’t let your past hold you down. Learn what you can from it but keep your eyes forward.
“UNLOCKING” THE DOOR
The story goes that legendary escape artist, Harry Houdini, as he travelled with his vaudevillian troop through small-town America, would first visit the local police station and have the local authorities lock him in the town jail. He would quickly find a way to break out of the jail cell, bringing great publicity and driving attendance at the shows.
There was, however, one town where he was unable to escape. The jail keeper shut him in the cell and many hours passed until Houdini finally asked to be let out. The jailer came and simply pulled the door open. It turned out the door was unlocked – it had never been locked at all.
There are times when I build a sort of prison in my mind, based on false notions and erroneous assumptions, many of which are based on my past. Although I may feel confined and limited, I’m really not. However, I’ve conditioned myself to see an environment or set of circumstances in a certain way. I can’t imagine them to be any different. I am often only limited by my mindset.
Similarly, in many ways the primary characters depicted in the Star Wars film, “The Force Awakens,” also find themselves plagued and limited by the images and conceptions of the past. Poor decisions, neglected priorities, misplaced ideals, aberrant behavior, false hopes, distracted complacency, as well as succumbing to the allure of a deceptive enemy, have clouded their present outlook and judgment. And in varying ways, they suffered.
Just as Jesus said of the prodigal son in the foreign land: "...he finally came to his senses” (Luke 15:17a, TLB), they came to their senses.
IRRESISTIBLE GRACE
“For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39 (KJV)
Fortunately, Paul tells us that nothing can separate from God’s love, mercy, and grace. He grants us forgiveness, and the ability to forgive ourselves. If I can accept this, it frees me from the self-imposed shackles of guilt and shame which can render me ineffective. This isn’t to say that past actions don’t have consequences – certainly they do. But the inherent beauty of the Gospel is that heaven has come to earth in the form of Christ, which provides limitless freedom from the wages of sin.
Still, this isn’t to suggest that the journey will be easy – as Paul references, the path ahead is a “straining forward.”
BUILDING CHARACTER
“Suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.” Romans 5:3-5 (NRSV)
I don’t believe our culture deals with suffering very well. We place a premium on the pursuit of happiness and have developed a great number of things designed to alleviate pain – from medicines to entertainment to sports and so forth and so on. Not that we should want to seek troubles and difficulties, but it often seems that our lives are spent in the pursuit of the avoidance of pain.
Obviously, we are all presented with challenges and obstacles in our lives. Sometimes, we face suffering that can seem insurmountable. We can wonder where God is amid our pain. But, despite this, it is imperative to keep moving - striving forward in faith. We have to face our present reality, but we don’t have to do it by ourselves. We have God’s presence and our community of believers who are there to share the burden. And God uses it to build our character, and from it emerges hope.
As believers in Christ, we know where our faith lies. We can accept our situation for what it is, regardless of its severity, while embracing the peace offered by the Spirit of Christ. We realize a hope that does not disappoint, from which we are able to focus onward towards the upward call of God.
Make It Personal: It’s often been a struggle to forget what lies behind and not regret it - or to even keep from, at times, reverting to previous behavior. But God provides me the means to shed the weight of the past – if I’m willing to accept it. And if I do, there’s forgiveness and healing awaiting me as I press forward. I have found that God will provide sufficient healing (if not complete healing) along the road. And these seasons of suffering have produced the most profound growth and serenity.
Pray: Dear Lord, we thank You and praise You for Your provision for us – for the love and mercy You show us. We seek Your guidance as we trudge the path You have laid before us. We ask that You help us learn from our past struggles and press on to embrace the future of Your glory which we have in Christ Jesus. Give us a heart for serving You and others. May Your peace be with us. Amen
Read: Philippians 4:13, 19, 4:8; Psalm 23; Luke 15:11-32
Weekly Memory Verse: “But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.’” 1 Samuel 16:7 (ESV)