Sunday, October 1, 2017

Go For It



“Go for it”, they say. “Grab everything you can.” That is the way of this world. There is nothing inherently wrong with success in this world, but it is not lasting. There is however something worth ‘going for.’

“Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:12-14

Paul lets us know what he is going for. To ‘apprehend’ means to take eagerly, to seize. Jesus has taken hold of your life for a purpose, and He wants you to seize on that same purpose. He wants us to lay hold of everything that He has made available to us. Earlier in the same chapter, Paul let’s us know that he counts all the things that the world considers important, as useless. These things were unimportant to Paul, because they would get in the way of getting all the Jesus had for him.

This message is not at all popular in the society we live in today. Even many Christians are not willing to give up any of their dreams for Jesus. There is a great fallacy that we can just put Jesus on the back burner, and still receive the best He has. The truth is that some of the things we wanted in our lives will have to be put aside if we are to go for God’s best.

I am not intending to discourage anyone from go after the things that they want in this life, but it is important to keep everything in it’s proper priority. If something in this life begins to distract us from seeking the Lord’s best, then that something should be considered to be worthless.

“Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.” 1 Corinthians 9:24-27

If we want to win the prize, we need to ‘go for it.’ The prize is worth giving our all for. It is worth giving up what ever gets in the way. Sometimes it is hard to see exactly what the benefit will be. We have to walk by faith. The worth is found in God’s Word. Attaining to some great thing in this world may have it’s moment, but it will pass. Satisfaction may be found in the riches and fame of this world, but it will pass. In eternity nothing of this world will exist, much less have any value.

If we are going to spend our time and energy going for something, let’s make it something lasting. “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:17-18

Gordon Crook