Press On Toward The Goal

“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. Let those of us who are mature think this way...” (Phil 3.13-15)


Paul realized that he had not reached full maturity yet. He was still striving for the kind of relationship with Christ that he described in Philippians 3.8-11. But he made it his aim in life to press on toward the the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
There is a wonderful prize waiting for those who reach the goal. As long as we are in this life, we must be straining forward to attain the resurrection from the dead (v. 11). The only way to move forward is to keep the past behind us. Many people struggle in this area. Many want to drag the past back into the present. There is nothing wrong with learning lessons from the past, but dwelling on doesn’t allow us to press forward.
“Those...who are mature think this way...” As our spiritual life grows stronger, we learn to keep our eyes on the goal, rather than on the path behind us. The mature learn to exhort others in the same way they encourage themselves. Although it may be necessary to discuss past mistakes at times, often the best words we can offer are “Press on, brother.”