Running Off To Be A Rockette

Dear Friends,

This morning my Bible reading took me to Philippians 3:14, in which the Apostle Paul writes, “I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.” It was a great reminder to me of the challenge we face every day to keep moving forward in our spiritual journey towards the goal that God has set for us in our walk with Him - no matter what.

The idea of needing to “finish what we started” when it comes to our walk with God is a common theme in Paul’s writing. I think he keeps repeating it because this issue isn’t a new one, and the decision to persevere isn’t a “one and done” decision. As children of God there are going to be a lot of times when we just don’t feel like running the race God’s set before us. Whether it’s because our circumstances have gotten challenging, or because we’ve been waiting for God to answer a prayer that He doesn’t seem to be answering, or because we see the folks around us living in ways that seem easier or better than our situation; there are just so many things that come up in life that make us weary of following God. The result is that it can feel easier to quit following Jesus than to persevere in living for Him.

Now, when I say “quite following Jesus”, I don't mean that we turn our back on our faith completely. It’s more that we gradually begin to move God out of the “driver’s seat” in our lives, and put ourselves there instead. Little by little, we put our own desires first, and put the life God is calling us to live farther down our list of priorities. So there may not be big, dramatic changes we see in our lives - but in our hearts and minds, God has taken a back seat to “us".

If I’m being completely honest, this desire to put myself first in life is something that I can regularly struggle with. That’s why I don't think it's an accident God led me to the Philippians passage today. He knew I needed the reminder of where my focus should be, and how my priorities should line up. And I think if you’re completely honest, it's something you can struggle with as well. That's why I'm asking you to join me in committing to continuing in our walk with God today. In the big and small things we go through today, let’s persevere with God. Let’s ask Him to help us keep the circumstances of life, or our feelings and emotions, from dictating our obedience so that we can “press on” and finish well.

Amen?

Daniel