Scripture:

“Not that I have already obtained this [resurrection from the dead] or have already reached the goal; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on towards the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:12-14)

Reflection:

These verses are quite a complicated way of conveying a simple message; that we should try to live like Jesus, and for Jesus, that we may obtain eternal life. But what struck me in this section was about forgetting the past and pushing on to the future. Too often we can recall negative past experiences of ourselves or others that inhibit our dreams and goals. Or we remember how we acted previously in front of people, so vow never to see them again out of embarrassment. The key remedies that are missing from these verses are grace and faith. Grace comes from God, He knows us and our faults and how much we messed up that one time, but we can step forward again knowing that He thinks just the same of us as He did before, and others are likely to behave in the same way. Nothing is ever as bad as we recall it to be. And we should have the faith to press on, knowing that a path has been laid before us and all our route predestined, but we have to be confident enough to walk it. After all, what a prize awaits us at the end if we truly believe this. This week, know that you have grace and trust in your faith, it will shine out to others around you.

Victoria Bray