May 24:
Living a Life that Matters…
Philippians 3:12-21
“I’m not
saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my
way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me.
Friends, don’t get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of
this, but I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to
Jesus. I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back.
So let’s keep focused on that
goal, those of us who want everything God has for us. If any of you have
something else in mind, something less than total commitment, God will clear
your blurred vision—you’ll see it yet! Now that we’re on the right track, let’s
stay on it.
Stick with
me, friends. Keep track of those you see running this same course, headed for
this same goal. There are many out there taking other paths, choosing other
goals, and trying to get you to go along with them. I’ve warned you of them
many times; sadly, I’m having to do it again. All they want is easy street.
They hate Christ’s Cross. But easy street is a dead-end street. Those who live
there make their bellies their gods; belches are their praise; all they can
think of is their appetites.
But there’s far more to life for
us. We’re citizens of high heaven! We’re waiting the arrival of the Savior, the
Master, Jesus Christ, who will transform our earthy bodies into glorious bodies
like his own. He’ll make us beautiful and whole with the same powerful skill by
which he is putting everything as it should be, under and around him.”
These verses remind me of the half-triathlon I ran a few years ago. A girlfriend of mine had been encouraging me & another friend to train for a triathlon. We excitedly agreed, as we had long desired to get our tookus’ [a] in gear. The ¼ mile swim, 15 mile bike ride & 5k run seemed the perfect way to do gloriously celebrate transitioning our bodies into our 40’s.
I’m a runner.
I love the whole running thing… from the beginning of lacing up the running
shoes, to stretching out my muscles, taking off like lightning, lungs burning
& legs pumping, to passing out on the grass in front of my apartment when
it’s over. I have to admit other than running, I really don’t enjoy exercise in
any shape or form. I don’t enjoy weight training or resistance training or yoga
or complicated cardio. I’m not competitive or coordinated & tend to get
bored quickly. I’d much rather hit the trail & take in the scenery around
me.
Anyhoo… back
to the triathlon…
I took the
training pretty seriously as I am a pretty poor swimmer & as you may have
gathered, am not the slightest bit athletic. So I purchased “Triathlon’s for
Dummies”, charted out a plan & spent my summer days alternating the
swimming, biking & running.
The morning
of the race dawned bright & clear. I was prepared & excited. As the gun
went off & my competitive friends took off, I eased myself down into the
water (with the grandma’s lest I be kicked in the head by those crazy competitive
people bent on breaking some kind of record) & decided that my plan would
be to stay focused on what was directly in front of me & enjoy the race.
I somehow
managed not to drown, enjoyed a leisurely ride around the lake & finally
hit the ground running on wobbly legs. Just following my plan & the people
in front of me, I ran & I ran & I ran. After while it occurred to me
that it seemed like much longer than a 5k… in fact it was the longest three
miles of my entire life. Just about the time I asked someone along the path
where we needed to turn around… I came across the turnaround… the turnaround
for the 10k.
Similarly, & quite
often, along my spiritual ‘run’ I find myself losing my focus on the Goal… Sometimes
I follow the deceitfully sweet words of comfort that my culture wants to me hear, or a well
meaning Christian who may seem to have a heart for the things of God. Sometimes
I just get hung up on a fabulous idea that takes me down a path never meant for
me…
Philippians
3 reminds me not to allow those ancillary things to filter in… but to remain
resolute. Committed. Focused on the Goal.
Jesus.
My Goal.
My Prize.
“If you live gladly to make others glad in God, your life will be hard, your risks will be high, and your joy will be full.” - John Piper, Don't Waste Your Life
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