Pressing On

Paul’s letters to the churches which make up a significant portion of the New Testament have always been engaging to me. Paul had impressive credentials. He was born of the tribe of Benjamin of the House of Israel. He was a Pharisee. His zeal led him to persecute Christians until he had his conversion from Saul to Paul on the road to Damascus (Acts 9). He was transformed from a persecutor to a missionary. Once he had been transformed those credentials meant nothing to Paul compared to knowing Christ. And we all know there is quite a difference in knowing ABOUT Christ and knowing Christ Jesus.

Paul feels comfortable enough as he writes these letters to get personal. He encourages followers of Christ, fully aware of the oppositions they face. In his letter to the people of Philippi, a large Roman city in Macedonia, he gives some advice that sounds simple, but it is not “…be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.” (Philippians 2:2) Think about where you are in community: your family, your neighborhood, your church. How difficult or how simple is it to be of the same mind, love, and accord with others? Are there major roadblocks to unity?

Paul pleads for maturity to reign. Followers of Christ are not to be concerned about their own self-interest but to regard others before themselves. Paul knows that selfishness is a chief obstacle to the goal of a loving community. An attitude of humility is to be adopted by each follower of Christ.

When Paul describes the mind of Christ, he emphasizes the servant aspect of Christ. Although He is God, Jesus empties Himself and lets go. He lets go of any selfish desires or needs to be right. He lets go of pride. He lets go of Himself as the center of the world. He empties Himself, allowing God’s will and love to fill Him.

What a powerful image and approach to life, especially when we see that this emptying leads to His death on the cross. In a moment, Jesus could have changed the outcome. Instead, Jesus humbled Himself to the point of death. Knowing all this, why is it difficult for us to adopt humble attitudes?

Rather than finding differences to quarrel about, maybe we should build our friendships and relationships on Christ. We can encourage one another and listen attentively to each other’s joys and sorrows.

What a different world we would live in if we could embody Paul’s vision of followers of Christ as he describes in Philippians 2:1-5. Nothing we do should be done out of conceit or selfish ambitions. Remembering the servant attitude of Christ tends to put us in the proper perspective.

Paul is one model in scripture who is willing to suffer the loss of everything—including his own life—on behalf of Christ. Paul writes in Philippians 3:10, “I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the sharing of His sufferings by becoming like Him in His death.” These are not empty words that Paul speaks. He did suffer persecution, imprisonment, and threats on his life. Yet his desire to truly know Christ persists.

I can remember when I first read these scriptures by Paul. Sometimes they felt exhausting to read because they seemed wordy, going on at length with no punctuation. When I sat and contemplated the amount of ministry Paul was doing from a jail cell, it seemed totally overwhelming. It seemed surprising to read that Paul does not stop; he doesn’t feel that he has reached his designation. His goal is not achieved. He does not see himself as a finished product of God who is at the point where he can quit and be complacent.

These words that Paul writes come from a man who has invested immense personal energy into spreading the word of Jesus. Of all people, it seems as though Paul could rest on his laurels and retire. People would understand if he requested some kind rest, but Paul presses forward. Philippians 3:14: “I press on toward the goal for the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.”

Have you ever encouraged someone to press on or had someone encourage you in that way? When Paul encourages the Philippians to press on, he is talking about the goal of Jesus Christ. Despite the many people who converted to following Christ after listening to Paul, he is not satisfied. Paul feels that his life is not complete. As much as Christ had claimed Paul, there were ways Paul still needed to claim Christ.

May we all, like Paul, find the energy and enthusiasm to press on toward Christ. On many days, it might sound as though injustice and strife are winning. It can be easy to become discouraged with the status of our world, but we who belong to Christ can spend time each day looking for opportunities to press on toward the goal and prize of Christ.