Following the String

This morning I am reflecting on some verses from Paul's letter to the Church in Philippi.  Sometimes I feel a bit like a child following string that is tied to different little treasures around the house, and as I follow this string, I uncover little treasures of truth.  I say this because I was just reading back through my last few reflections, each from different books and verses, but each related to the other.  I love how the Lord in His gentle direction leads me along, helping me to discover new insight and understanding, each building on the last or related to the last.  I am so encouraged by His leading, knowing that He is taking a personal interest in my growth and maturation.

Here are the verses from the end of chapter 3 and beginning of chapter 4 - Philippians 3:12-16,20-21 & 4:1 (NIV)

[12] "Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. [13] Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, [14] I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."

[15] "All of us, then, who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. [16] Only let us live up to what we have already attained."

[20] "But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, [21] who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.

Philippians [4:1] "Therefore, my brothers and sisters, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, dear friends!"

I wanted to include the verse from the fourth chapter for that was actually his concluding thought from all he discussed in chapter three.  It is at that point the work my way backwards through his thoughts, starting with his exhortation to "stand firm in the Lord".  This is an exhortation to stand solidly in our relationship with Christ Jesus.  Quite simply, He is our goal, He is our finish-line, everything we pursue is found in Him.  Our identity is found in Him (Rom 8:28-30).  Our Relationship with the Father is through Him (Matt 11:27).  Our understanding of our purpose and calling is found in Him (Eph 1:11).  Our power and life is found in Him (John 4:13-14).  Our eternal life is in Him (John 17:3).  We are new creations in Him (2 Cor 5:17)!

Our citizenship, our nature, our calling, our final destiny is heaven, and yet we get to experience this heavenly life, here on earth (Matt 6:9-10), prior to our death and joining Him in eternity.  We have more to experience, more to birth through prayer, and obedience, and that is what we are encouraged by Paul to press forward into, in Christ Jesus.  We have a life of fullness planned by the Lord, and we don't want to think that now that we have received salvation that we can just coast into heaven!  Jesus called us to pray heaven down to earth (verses from Matthew listed earlier), and to demonstrate the reality of the Kingdom of God here (Matt 10:7-8).

We are all maturing, all in process of being transformed internally and ultimately externally so that we might be like Christ Jesus!  Our internal transformation is alluded to in Paul's brief mention of repentance in verse 15 above.  The heart of God for us is transformation into the likeness of Jesus, and to do that we must be convinced of our need to think differently, and then act differently.  Paul calls this maturation and I think he is completely correct (who am I to comment on Paul's correctness?).  I was just thinking how much I look like my earthly father, and how that became more and more apparent as I grew and matured.  As I age I become more and more like him in looks, and hopefully in heart, for he was a great man!  In this same way, as I grow and mature in relationship with Christ Jesus I hope to look more and more like Him in heart and actions!

So, like Paul, I am encouraged to press on, to press forward, not thinking I have attained everything the Lord set out for me, but recognizing that I have a life of fruitfulness ahead of me!  I want to see everything completed, and I can't get there if I am constantly looking backwards, and thinking about the things I have seen or accomplished.  Back to the idea of following the string that I started with this morning.  It is nice to look at the treasure one receives, to enjoy the treasure, to put the treasure in one's pocket, but there is always more string and more treasures to uncover.  I want to follow the Lord pursuing Him to the day I see Him face to face.  I want to press forward to win the prize, and that is Christ Jesus.

Amen!