Keeping your eyes on the goal

Hey All!

Hope you've all been well!
Pretty Hot these few days but Thank God autumn is coming really soon!

Just wanted to share something that God placed in my heart.

(Philippians 3:12-16)(New Living Translation)

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13Brothers, 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, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
All of us 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. Only let us live up to what we have already attained.

Sometimes we look from a distance how God uses people mightily, it may even be uncomfortable to see the level of passion in people but you just can't understand how they arrive at that place, or maybe we don't even see the need to get so passionate?

I used to think that people that are "passionate" are some overly enthusiastic hippy christian. However, going from a point of being passionless to the present, its really about not giving up but PRESSING IN to the presence of GOD! What comes along with it is a wanting to be committed and connected to the church.

Where does your priority lie?
It is a year where a lot of crucial things are happening, final year of studies, stress at work, stress from needing to find work etc. Yes we have to be dilligent in what we're called to do presently. Yes be a good testimony thru all of that. BUT not at the expense of your relationship with God. lets not have the mentality of taking a year off to concentrate on studies or work and i'll work on my relationship with God later. Remember we are first a christian then a student, a valuer, a doctor , a pharmacist etc.

Its dangerous when we are satisfied where we are at with God, everyday do a bit of devotion, sunday go to church, go back home and the cycle goes on.
Do we have the hunger for God, his word and things of him?

In Philippians 3 Paul says that he hasn't attained it but he PRESSES ON toward Christlikeness. Being like Christ would mean having the heart of the things he is concerned about. For the people that have yet to know him. If you don't have the heart for that, pray and ask God to give it to you! Christ spent time with God whenever he could, lets be found doing that as well, and not because we have to.

Having passion and being Christlike dosen't come suddenly like a flood of emotions, or suddenly feeling like it. It comes from a heart that WANTS TO and despite not feeling like it and at the same time surrounded by various unconducive circumstances still pressing in and pressing on toward Christ!

It is not easy being a christian, but thank God for Christ who loved us to the point of death. Pressing on along the path to the cross.

Keep your eyes on the Goal. Its worth it!


Praying and committed on the journey with you :)


Sarah