Faith: Disciplined Pursuit of Christ's Prize
Daily Scripture
Philippians 3:10-14
10 The righteousness that I have comes from knowing Christ, the power of his resurrection, and the participation in his sufferings. It includes being conformed to his death 11 so that I may perhaps reach the goal of the resurrection of the dead.
12 It’s not that I have already reached this goal or have already been perfected, but I pursue it, so that I may grab hold of it because Christ grabbed hold of me for just this purpose. 13 Brothers and sisters, I myself don’t think I’ve reached it, but I do this one thing: I forget about the things behind me and reach out for the things ahead of me. 14 The goal I pursue is the prize of God’s upward call in Christ Jesus.
Daily Reflection & Prayer
Pelé: “Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love of what you are doing.”
After every World Cup, people ask winning players and coaches, “To what do you attribute your team winning the championship?” The answers usually cite hard work and a shared focus on the goal. “Easy” is not the road to special achievements—in soccer or in life. The apostle Paul described his walk of faith as a determined, forward-looking, life-long pursuit of “the prize of God’s upward call.”
- Paul was writing to the Philippian church from prison (Philippians 1:12-14). Even from there, he said his singular goal was “the prize of God’s upward call in Christ Jesus.” Paul focused on being like Jesus, confident that goal would lead him to God’s ultimate reward. How has “God’s upward call” motivated your disciplined pursuit of becoming Christ-like? What does that pursuit look like in your daily life?
- Winning the World Cup is amazing. But Pelé—a three-time World Cup winner—said about his young fans: “I have a great responsibility to show them not just how to be like a soccer player, but how to be like a man.” * Your faith says you’re on life’s ultimate championship team. Paul shared a key trait: “I forget about the things behind me and reach out for the things ahead of me.” Paul didn’t deny his history but remembered God’s promise to define his future. Do any failures, old identities, or regrets from your past limit your present? How can God’s loving presence more strongly define your future?
Prayer
O God our Father, help me press forward toward your upward call. Let nothing from my past hinder me from being who you’ve called me to be. Amen.
GPS Insights
Clara Burdick
Clara Burdick, who serves as a Summer Intern in Student Ministry at Leawood, wrote today’s Insights Blog. Clara is going into her sophomore year at Missouri State University where she is majoring in Secondary Math Education with a minor in religious studies. At MSU Clara is also committed to their dance team, the Missouri State Sugar Bears. Outside of church and school, Clara loves spending time outdoors, finding a new adventure to go on, spending time with others, teaching dance classes, and 7 brew! Clara could not be more excited to be part of Resurrection’s student ministry this summer as she leans into her call to ministry.
Recently I have taken up the hobby of running. You always hear people talking about how much they love it and how beneficial it is, so I thought I would try it. Come to find out I hate running, and yet I am still committed to doing it. Why? I set a goal for myself to run a 15k by the end of this year. It is not easy, sometimes it totally sucks, but at the end of every run I find myself feeling so overwhelmed with joy knowing that I had accomplished something.
When Paul is writing to the Philippian church he is writing from a prison cell. His journey is one no one would describe as easy. However, even from his cell Paul has his eyes fixed on one goal: to one day know Christ fully and live like Him. This is the upward call of God. Paul talks about how he has not yet accomplished this goal, but he is constantly pursuing it. Through this Paul shows us the importance spiritual discipline. Paul also teaches us to keep our eyes fixed on our future in Christ. We view things from the past like a rearview mirror. They are still there and we can still see them, but we do not take the time to turn around. We must keep our eyes fixed on where we are going—our future that is being laid out by the Father.
During my runs I must keep myself from looking back. I know how far I have come, but looking back turns my focus away from my end goal. I can use my past to motivate me and to learn from to improve, but I cannot let it affect my future. I view my faith in the same way. Over the last couple of years, I have come so far in my faith, but this is not the end. Faith should be ever growing. We must continue to challenge it and strengthen it until the day we meet our goal of God’s prize. Until we are one alike with Christ.
Keeping my focus on the Lord allows me to open my eyes to see all His glory around me, open my ears to hear His guidance, and open my heart to receive all it is He has to offer me. This is my motivation, my discipline, my unwavering determination. The promise that the Lord has provided for me, the upward call to live my life more like Christ every day.
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Scripture quotations are taken from The Common English Bible ©2011. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
References
* Quoted in SI Flashback: “Soccer’s greatest genius.” Sports Illustrated, dated June 1, 1999.
