In whatever we do, we want to be successful. Nobody wants plays a sport to lose every single game and not try. Nobody studies hard all night long just to fail the test on purpose the next day. That would be pretty weird. Paul didn't go through so many trials just to give up. What Paul did was keep faith, and as you read this passage in Philippians that he wrote in jail (See Acts), think about what you do that work hard on and press towards, whether it be college, a sport, or something little.
Philippians 3:12-21
Pressing Toward the Goal
12 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. 13 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, 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. 15 Let all who are spiritually mature agree on these things. If you disagree on some point, I believe God will make it plain to you. 16 But we must hold on to the progress we have already made.
17 Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example. 18 For I have told you often before, and I say it again with tears in my eyes, that there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 They are headed for destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and they think only about this life here on earth. 20 But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. 21 He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same power with which he will bring everything under his control.
Paul had such a strong faith. In everything he did, he didn't worry about the people around him that insulted him or even hurt him. His eyes were fixed on Heaven and what God had in store for him. If you read Acts, you learn the many trials of Paul. He is sent to preach many different places where people want to kill him. He gets faces a storm on a ship for over twelve days and wrecks anyways. He is bitten by a poisonous snake. He is kidnapped by foreign people. If Paul were to panic and try to handle all of this on his own, he would have died. People would have died during the storm. The poisonous snake would have effected him. The people would have killed him. Who knows what could have happened if Paul didn't keep pressing toward the goal of Heaven?
In everything we do, none of us are perfect, but there is nothing wrong with trying. Just like Paul, we should all forget our pasts and look forward to the reward in Heaven. Just like you would in a game. You may trip and people may laugh at you, but you get right back up and keep going to that goal to score. Maybe someone let you down in the past. It's time to keep your eyes from looking back and not forgiving that person, and forgive them. The most important thing this passage says we must do is hold on to the progress we have already made. We all weren't perfect at playing soccer, football, etc when we started. In fact, when I started riding horses, I was terrible! But as times goes by, we learn more and get better. We are all the same in serving God. As new Christians, like myself, you have to learn about God. Read the Bible, step out on faith, pray, and everything like that!
When you play a sport, you practice and have games. When your a Christian, everyday is a game. Everyday, try and score a goal. How? Reach out to someone. Be a friend to someone who needs one. Do whats right even when it seems hard. When your on a team, you never want to score for the other team. Go toward the right goal, and don't let anyone stop you.
