Philippians 3: 13Brethren, 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,
14I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
Throughout this life we develop goals for which we strive to complete. Many times our goals are life stages—finish high school, go to college, find a career, get married, or start a family. For some, it may be to excel in some sport. Some want an Olympic Gold Medal. Whatever goal we seek, our success depends on how passionate are we to complete that goal in life. What are we willing to sacrifice in order to complete that goal? Passion is an intense emotion compelling feeling, enthusiasm, or desire for something. The term is also often applied to a lively or eager interest in or admiration for a proposal, cause, or activity or love. Passion can be expressed as a feeling of unusual excitement, enthusiasm or compelling emotion towards a subject, idea, person, or object. Great athletes generally must rise above the crowd in a passionate pursuit that drives them far beyond the average man. Often they are immune to realizing pain, as they drive themselves past injury, past fatigue in order to finish the race first. They stay focused on the final goal and will sacrifice anything to accomplish that goal. They spend hours and hours in constant hard sacrificial training with the final goal always pressed before them. It is no wonder that Paul used such an analogy to the Christian walk. I am not there yet; but this one most important thing is the only worthy goal for which I place all my passion toward completing. I must forget all the former failures, sorrows, and pains so as to constantly stretch forward to reach that most important of all goals. I press ever forward with training, self denial for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Keeping Christ Jesus as my goal ever before my eyes, I lay aside everything else as unimportant in comparison to knowing Him in all His Glory.
Take a look at the passages just before 13 in Philippians 3: 7But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.
8Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
9And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
10That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
11If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.
12Not 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.
Throughout the journeys of my life (all the leaps of faith, the moments in which faith eluded me, the sorrows, the losses, the joys) it has been the glimpses of God’s Glory ever so dim at moments and shining brightly at others that has drawn me out. Each tear along that path has lead me to this moment of great and wondrous Joy in which I now reside. My greatest treasure is Christ Jesus my Lord. Nothing matters so much as my growing in my knowledge of Him. To see the glimpses of His magnificent Glory. To have the privilege to be His servant.