“Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13 & 14
When I was in middle school I belonged to a club for girls and boys through the church I attended. Each year we had a bike-a-thon where we got the opportunity to win a brand new bike if we could ride 100 miles in a day. In the weeks prior to the event I rode my old bike around the neighborhood, daydreaming about the brand new 10 speed that would be waiting for me when I crossed the finish line! As the day approached I was so excited because I wanted to win the bike more than anything! I determined that nothing could keep me from winning it and I never even considered the possibility of defeat!
I am sure my parents wanted to tell me that riding 100 miles in a day was almost impossible for a kid my age, but they never did. They let me dream big and they encouraged me to get out there each day and practice. When the day of the event arrived my mom got me up and made me a good breakfast. Then we loaded up my bike and headed for the school where the event was going to take place. I remember the exhilaration I felt when we pulled up to the school and I saw dozens of bikes lined up and kids getting paper numbers pinned to their shirts.
I jumped out of the car and ran over to my friends! We were full of excitement and couldn’t wait to get started! After getting my number I grabbed my bike and headed for the starting line. When everyone was in position the leaders said a prayer and gave us the course instructions. As the horn sounded we all began peddling as fast as we could! The first few miles were a breeze! The adrenaline was pumping as I passed the first checkpoint! The crowd was cheering as we passed by and all I could think about was taking home that new bike!
The intensity of emotion from the crowd and the riders lasted for the first 30 or 40 miles, but one by one, I watched as kids exited the race and loaded up their bikes for their trip home. My legs were tired and I was sweating but I pressed on, determined to reach the finish line! By mile 75 I was exhausted and didn’t think I could make it, but I kept telling myself to push harder. I started to think about how far 75 miles was and that thought began to way heavy on my mind. At one point I almost gave up, but then I made the decision to focus my mental energy back to the thought of the prize, and I was filled with a new strength to keep going!
The next 25 miles went by slowly and I wasn’t sure I could make it. At each checkpoint they held up a sign that told us how many miles we had completed. As I approached the checkpoint for mile 90 one of the leaders held up a sign that said, “Only 10 miles to go.” In an instant I realized that victory was only 10 miles away and I was filled with a new excitement and energy! That leader’s action changed my life forever! I didn’t spend one more second focused on where I had been or what I had done; I focused every ounce of energy on where I was headed!
When I saw the sign that said 2 ½ miles to go I peddled as fast as I could towards the finish line! As I approached it the crowds were cheering me on! I threw my hands up in the air as I crossed the finish line and my friends and family ran over to congratulate me! No words can describe the emotion I felt as the leaders presented me with the brand new 10 speed bike! It is an accomplishment I will never forget!
In the weeks following the event I rode that bike every day. Victory felt amazing and I was the happiest girl in the world! Unfortunately, it was just a matter of time before the new bike became my old bike and the thrill of victory wore off. The prize 10 speed bike lost its luster and it no longer looked like it did on the day I took it home. Within months I was longing for a new bike because I was dissatisfied with my prize and I wanted a new one.
As an adult when I look back at that event I often think about what Paul is talking about in Philippians 3:13 & 14. The prize we are to press towards is not a natural prize that will lose its luster over time like my prize 10 speed bike! It is a supernatural prize of the call of God in Jesus Christ! It is a prize of great worth that brings a lifetime of fulfillment, not just a few weeks of carnal excitement!
All of us have the same opportunity to achieve the prize of fulfillment in life, but many of us do what I did at mile marker 75. We get tired and look back at where we’ve been and what we’ve done, and we begin to focus our mental energy on the negative, instead of the positive. If we stay in that mindset we are sure to dismount the vehicle called faith, and give up on our dreams for achieving a life of fulfillment!
I want to encourage you today to do as I did at mile marker 75 and change your mental focus! Set your eyes once again on the prize and work daily on your goals, so you can cross the finish line to receive the ultimate prize of life! I know how tired you may be and how difficult the journey ahead may seem, but I want to assure you that you can do it! I stand here today like the leader at mile marker 90 holding a sign that says, “Only 10 miles to go.” You have come so far and victory is within your reach! Keep pressing forward! Keep your eyes fixed on Christ! Keep your mind focused on where you’re going, not where you’ve been! And always remind yourself that you are not in this race alone.
Hebrews 12: 1 & 2 says, “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Surround yourself with cheerleaders who will encourage you to press on! Don’t let anyone or anything detour you from reaching the finish line! Spend time in the Word and in prayer focusing on God’s promises! Become a forward thinker who stays focused on the prize! Victory is yours my friend!
Prayer: I praise you for the victory in life called fulfillment that awaits me as I press towards the finish line! I stand in awe of your love for me in giving me the strength and endurance to keep pressing forward no matter how tired I am. I choose today to press on and to forget the past with its failures and defeat. I believe by faith that as I look to you each day for my strength and hope, I will be filled with a new energy to keep me in the race of life, securely seated on the vehicle called faith! I determine today that I will not dismount the vehicle of faith and I believe by faith that victory is mine! Amen.
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