“I press on.”

Philippians 3:7-14, But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

There are many today who claim that great prosperity will come through knowing Jesus. Paul’s claim is that knowing Jesus and being found in Him is worth more than any of his previous wealth or fame! His contentment came not from the things of this world, but from pressing on to know Him more fully. Are we able to forget what lies behind and strain forward to what lies ahead in Christ?

Thank You for all the blessings You give us, especially that of faith in Christ to press on in Your upward call!

ESV Lectionary