You Are Freeনমুনা

Press On

Before I married Jeanna, whenever I felt alone, I started to think about all my old girlfriends. I dated a nurse when I worked at Piedmont Hospital right after I graduated from college. We dated for several months and then stopped. There wasn't a spark. The whole dating thing with her felt awkward and strange. It didn't work at all, so we quit seeing each other.

Then I moved to Dallas. When I first arrived, I didn't know anyone, For the first three months, loneliness was my constant companion. I remember looking around my apartment one night and thinking, "I could die and no one would know." In those lonely moments, guess who I started thinking about - the nurse. "I wonder what she is doing now. Would she go out with me? We did have some fun." In my loneliness, I tried to track her down. The relationship didn't work the first time. I don't know why I thought it would work the second time. That was crazy thinking.

But we all do it. You've done something like that, right? One of the lessons in life is that we can't go back. The only option is to move forward. I'm glad I did, because I met Jeanna. As we became friends, I realized she was the one for me.

The same is true for the Christian life. Once we are saved, we can't go back. We can't reverse all that Christ accomplished. We can't go from life back to death. We can't go from light back to darkness. And we can't go from belief back to unbelief. Why would we want to?

Paul asked this question: "We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?" (Romans 6:2). You died to sin, to unbelief. The old you is gone. You are new in Jesus, equipped to live a life of faith, hope, and love. What does the Scripture say to you? Press on!

The Bible encourages you to take hold of the eternal life to which you were called (1 Timothy 6:12). The Bob Christopher paraphrase reads, "Grab it and live it."

I'm confident Paul had this in mind when he wrote these words:

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, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:13, 14).

It sounds so good and so simple. It's what you want. But let me ask, is anything holding you back?

Are you fearful of the unknown? New life is just that - new. That means it's different, unfamiliar. It requires change. Change is not something we take to readily because we are not sure of the benefits. Turn that fear into faith. Trust the One who loves you and gave his life for you. His life is the best - nothing can compare.

Are you concerned about what other people will think of you? Other people's opinions are very important to us. What they think matters. I certainly don't want people to think I'm a religious fanatic. Eric Hoffer wrote, "it's been said that when people are free to do as they please, they usually imitate one another." What really matters is what God thinks. His opinion is better than anyone else's Trust what he has to say.

Do you think the world has something better to offer? Admittedly, the world is an attractive place on the surface. It markets itself very well. For the longest time I was Mr. Noncommittal. I was always waiting for something better to come along. The world doesn't offer anything that can compare to Christ. The only way to find out is to take hold, jump in, and live.

It takes courage, but experiencing the life of Jesus is worth everything. This is what he saved you for.

(excerpt from Simple Gospel Simply Grace by Bob Christopher)