Today was the first day of track practice for our middle child. Last year at the beginning of track season he had a bad habit of turning to see who was trying to pass him. That is a big “no-no” in track. I recall giving him some coaching, explaining that to do well you must keep your focus straight ahead and not turn around to see who might be running up behind you or moving to pass. Whatever is behind you is not important.
Paul takes that same concept in this letter to the church in Philippi and applies it to faith. What comment does Paul make about his own faith in verse 12? What is the key concept in verses 13 and 14?
While running track, time is incredibly important. First place and second place can often be separated by small portions of a second. If a runner gets distracted and turns his head to see who might be passing him, he can slow enough to lose the race.
This same approach and image applies to our faith in Christ. If we will be faithful followers of Jesus we need to keep our hearts and souls focused on the teachings of Jesus and the laws of God. We cannot allow ourselves to be distracted. If we are distracted, even a small bit, we can be like the centurion and miss the glory of Jesus. We can pass up the wonder of experiencing Christ.
Paul points out that he is no expert on faith. He is like us. He has not achieved his goal. But he is working on achieving his goal, of being a true disciple, of becoming more perfect in his spiritual life.
One essential comment is that as he works toward his perfection, Paul is like a runner. He ignores what is behind him. So it should be in our faith. Our past mistakes, our past failings, our past life is something to be forgotten and ignored. Instead, we keep our souls set on God’s goals.
DAILY CHALLENGE: How can we rid ourselves of the distractions of our past?
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