Thoughts for the Day

I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death, if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

Pressing towards the Goal

Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on towards the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us then who are mature be of the same mind; and if you think differently about anything, this too God will reveal to you. Only let us hold fast to what we have attained.

(New Standard Revised Version)

Thoughts

St Paul uses the idea of an elite athlete, to talk about reaching the goal of being one with Christ Jesus. In his imprisonment in Rome, possibly changed to a soldier, he longs for the Emperor's decision concerning his case. In the meantime as a Roman citizen he is allowed visitors and the use of writing materials. In his letter to his beloved Christians at Philippi he now thinks of his journey in this life as a race - a race to the end of his life.

In ancient Greece 'Games' were famous, particularly the Olympic Games. But the Isthmian Games were held the year before and the year after them as were the Nemean Games, while the Pythian Games were held in the third year of the cycle. An athlete entering the Isthmian Games for instance, would have trained for up to a year before the race. Such an athlete would be self-disciplined with their eye on winning the race and gaining the prize.

The Greeks had a saying "Know thyself", and we need to remember this; we cannot serve others if we cannot master ourselves; and we cannot teach others about God if we haven't found Him ourselves. Like Paul we are aiming for the ultimate prize, not a laurel wreathe that will be thrown away in a week, but ultimately to be one with our Lord.

Heavenly Father,
keep us ever straining forward
to reach the ultimate goal
and the real prize.
Help us not to take our eyes from You,
but to discipline our minds
and nurture our souls,
as we grow closer to You.
Amen.