In this month of February, our hearts are drawn toward LOVE! We have a certain holiday in the middle of the month that focuses our attention on relationships. There is a passage in the Bible that also promotes LOVE and relationships. In Romans 12:9-21 we read,

Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

You will notice that there are 5 Love Be’s that are highlighted in these verses. We are encouraged to follow these Love Be’s as we interact with those around us. We might summarize them in the following ways:

Be Sincere –be genuine in your love for one another; keep your moral compass going in the right direction (vs. 9)

Be Devoted – respect each other, putting yourself in a position of humility as you serve one another (vs. 10-11)

Be Joyful – maintain a positive attitude even in the midst of trials; keep bringing your requests into the throne room; be generous with others; be flexible in your responses toward those around you, sometimes you will laugh and other times you will cry (vs. 12-15)

Be Willing – humble and open to associate with others who are different from you; look for opportunities to serve (vs. 16)

Be Careful – make sure that your integrity is intact; let God be God in handling difficult situations, He will avenge the wrongs; be at peace with everyone (vs. 17-21)

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  I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:14)

We are realistic that we have not arrived, we have the right God-focused attitude and we have gained an understanding of how our past connects with our present and realize this is a process. Now it is time to get moving toward our goals.

In verse 14, Paul desires to advance toward the goal to win the prize of living eternally with Christ by pressing on! Sometimes, “pressing on” means just plodding along at an even pace. The important thing that Paul shares here is that we need to keep moving forward toward the prize. If a marathon runner would race with all of his gusto, he would soon run out of steam. A marathon runner usually paces himself so he has enough stamina to complete the race.

As we look forward to the day we shall see Him face to face, God desires that we each shed the fleshly things that bog us down so we can become more like Him, experiencing His power and righteousness. Paul wants us to be consistent in our approach to our God-given goals. Sometimes that means we evaluate our progress and we may need to change some things.

Question to think about: What steps are you taking that will move you toward God’s goals for you?

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Brothers, 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. (Philippians 3:13)

So, you have admitted that you haven’t arrived, you are working on having a God-focused attitude and now you need to acknowledge that it is a process.

In Philippians 3:13, Paul acknowledges that there is a process involved in pressing on toward his goal. He forgets the past, putting it behind him, and strains (reaches forth) toward what is ahead. Paul could have allowed the fact that he was responsible for persecuting believers affect his ability to preach the good news. Instead, he let go of the past and concentrated on what lay ahead.

Putting our past behind us can be one of the most difficult things to do. It is so easy to keep the past with you in the present and even drag it into the future. Understanding our past as much as we are able helps us realize what changes we need to make in the present and it gives us the encouragement we need as we focus on what God has for us.

But, we can’t stay in the past. We must move through the process. So, gain an understanding of your past and move forward!

Question to think about: Reflecting on Paul’s process, what is something from your past that may be holding you back from moving forward with your goals?

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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. (Philippians 3:12)

Being realistic about where you are in life is an important dimension of goal-setting. Adjusting your attitude is another dimension of goal-setting and is truly difficult at times. Paul’s attitude was to “press on” to take hold of that for which Christ took hold of him. Looking at verses 7-8 in Phil. 3, we see that Paul recognized that all of the things he was and possessed in the flesh (vs. 4) were truly rubbish compared to what he had in knowing Christ. He was willing to move forward with the right attitude because he realized that what Christ had to offer was far better than anything he could have accomplished in his own strength.

Even though Paul’s life was not an easy one after his conversion on that road to Damascus, he pressed on in life toward his goal. He could have become discouraged early on with all that he encountered as he preached the Gospel.

Our life circumstances often don’t happen the way we think they should turn out. It is a challenge to maintain a God-focused attitude amidst difficulties and struggles. We have a tendency to allow our attitudes to be self-focused and that can distract us from moving forward in attaining our goals.

Question to think about: Reviewing Paul’s attitude of pressing on toward reaching his goal, what attitude adjustment do you need to make in your goal setting process and as you work to reach those goals in His strength?

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