PhilippiansSample

Oh, Perfection! That thing that we can all be tricked into thinking we have to become or that we can achieve. That it’s our prize. But like the scripture says, we won’t attain perfection this side of heaven. Maybe running our race is not about perfection or arriving but what we gain in the process of taking daily steps towards Jesus. The trust, the faith, the hope, the character, the growth!

Each person was created by God in His image and with a purpose. While that purpose is unique to each person, we each have a race to run that includes assignments to make a difference here on earth. Heaven is the eternity that every Christian is running towards. Heaven is our prize, our reward, not because we are perfect but because a perfect Jesus finished his assignment on earth by dying on the cross and paying the price for our sin. We didn’t earn that reward. It was given as a gift. Why do we still RUN towards the prize when it’s already ours? So we can be like Jesus and finish our unique assignment on this earth. A great way to find our purpose and start running our race is to keep taking steps forward in our relationship with Jesus. To ask and look “to what lies ahead.” It’s really hard to drive a car while looking only at what’s behind you in the rear view mirror. In fact, you will most likely crash. As a reminder today, it’s hard to move forward when you’re constantly looking back. Living in the past slows us down and can even knock us out of our race completely. Looking around in comparison at others running their race can be dangerous as well. Comparison distracts us from our unique calling. Let’s ask God today to reset our focus. Let’s look to what lies ahead knowing heaven is our reward and run our race to accomplish all God has in store for us and others.

Prayer points:

• Thank Jesus for what He has done and the eternal prize of heaven He has given us.
• Ask God if there is an area of your life where you might be focusing too much on your past that might be holding you back.
• Ask God to help you recognize any place where you’re allowing comparison in your life.
• Pray for God to give you focus and endurance to run your race well. What has God called you specifically to do?