Phil 3:12 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.
Phil 3:13 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,
Phil 3:14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
The Holy Bible, New International Version. Pradis CD-ROM:Phil 3:12-14.
My Quest Study Bible describes the tension Paul creates in these verses as the salvation we already have against the journey toward our growth in grace, but I was drawn to the phrase “press on.”
Often at the beginning of a new calendar year I look for a word or phrase as a theme. One year it was the Pilgrim adage, “Let your life speak.” Last year I adopted the phrase “Forward and Onward!” as my mantra for the year. My idea was that I would look at life through a lens that moved forward and didn’t dwell on setbacks or obstacles. Since I started the year off with a knee replacement that came on the heels of a difficult foot surgery, it just seemed appropriate.
This year as I contemplated the underlying attitude I wanted to embrace, I rested upon the phrase “press on” from Philippians 3:12-14. Resting just might be the opposite of pressing on though.
The Greek word that is translated as “press on” in these verses is διώκω and actually is used 45 times in the New Testament, 22 of them by Paul. Fifteen of those instances that Paul uses this word, the translators used some form of the word persecute or pursue, and the remaining seven are press on, make every effort, practice, try, and follow. (I know….. riveting stuff, right?)
The thing is, if you look up the definitions of this word, they all seem to indicate a dogged, relentless, pursuit of someone or something. I didn’t know that about this phrase when I picked it, but I think it’s probably really appropriate for me for this year. At this stage of my life and my faith, many of my goals, my wants and desires are not going to be achieved with a flurry of one-dimensional pursuit. Rather, a determined, steadfast attitude of continuing on might be more appropriate for this retiree.
There are a couple aspects about “pressing on” that caught my attention. One is that it is relentless. The kind of relentless that doesn’t think about being done, it just keeps pursuing whatever it is that it is after. I’m thinking that is the mindset I may need to have about my “faith walk.” It’s like Teacher Cathy used to remind us parents about our preschoolers’ projects that sometimes needed an explanation for just exactly what it was: “It’s the process, not the product.” My pursuit of God is not just about Heaven, it is about becoming more like Christ and learning to see him at work within whatever circumstance I may find myself.
During a class I was taking I was introduced to the New Testament concept of “already, but not yet.” Our salvation has already been accomplished, but it won’t be totally complete until Christ returns. So, while I may understand what the ultimate goal is, the question about what is supposed to happen during this “not yet” time arises. Just what kind of goals should I be working towards?
That brings me to a second aspect of διώκω and goals. Accomplishing goals doesn’t necessarily need to happen quickly, but identifying them and pressing on toward them is important. Yogi Berra once said, “You’ve got to be very careful if you don’t know where you are going, because you might not get there.” So, I’m thinking that while the utmost prize the apostle Paul is speaking of is our salvation through Christ, I am also mindful that ultimately Jesus called us to “disciple all the nations.” Those should be my foundational goals, always. So yes, Yogi, I think I know where I am headed, but what am I doing to become a better discipler? (Word doesn’t think discipler is a real word, but I figure it must be one who disciples, right?)
I guess then, that is what I am “pressing on” towards. The thing about big goals is that there is usually a lot that needs to happen along the way before you accomplish them. A good friend of mine who I taught with used to describe the things we did to try to implement change as “baby steps.” That is probably where my “pressing on” is going to live this year: in the dogged, intentional, pursuit of the little goals that will make me a better disciple and discipler. Some of them may be lofty, theological insights, but perchance the ones that bring me a lot of day to day satisfaction will be things like cleaning out the office closet because it also helps to unclutter my life and better my focus. The good news is that cleaning out that closet can still be done to the glory of God (I Corinthians 10:31) regardless of whether it is a direct action of discipleship. More than likely the way I live my life, the view I give others of my struggles and God’s answers to prayers, are where my discipleship will be best be accomplished. It could be that my greatest task will be to make sure I recognize when God is at work and to shine the light upon His mighty hands.
Διώκω…
Here's to pressing on……..
