Philippians 3:13-21: a reflection

13Brothers, I don’t regard myself as yet having taken hold, but one thing I do: forgetting the things which are behind and stretching forward to the things which are before, 14I press on toward the goal for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. 15Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, think this way. If in anything you think otherwise, God will also reveal that to you. 16Nevertheless, to the extent that we have already attained, let’s walk by the same rule. Let’s be of the same mind. 17Brothers, be imitators together of me, and note those who walk this way, even as you have us for an example. 18For many walk, of whom I told you often, and now tell you even weeping, as the enemies of the cross of Christ, 19whose end is destruction, whose god is the belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who think about earthly things. 20For our citizenship is in heaven, from where we also wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21who will change the body of our humiliation to be conformed to the body of his glory, according to the working by which he is able even to subject all things to himself.

Paul describes his single-minded pursuit of the goal: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what is ahead, pressing on toward the prize of God's call in Christ. One thing I do, Paul writes: forgetting the things which are behind and stretching forward to the things which are before, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Paul does not rest on what he has attained, nor does he let the past, its failures or even its successes, hold him back. He fixes his attention on the goal ahead, and presses on toward it single-mindedly, forgetting what is behind and straining forward to what is before. His life is one focused pursuit of the prize of God's call in Christ. This shows the single-minded pursuit of the goal, forgetting the past and pressing on. Forget what lies behind, and press on toward the goal ahead. Do not let the past, its failures or successes, hold you back. Fix your attention on the goal and pursue it single-mindedly. Press on toward the prize of God's call in Christ.

Notice the focus and forward motion in Paul's words. He says, one thing I do, marking a single, focused pursuit. And that one thing has two parts: forgetting what lies behind, and straining forward to what is ahead. Paul does not dwell on the past. He does not let past failures weigh him down and hold him back, nor does he rest on past successes as though he had already arrived; he forgets what is behind, releasing it, and fixes his attention forward, straining toward what is ahead. And so he presses on toward the goal, for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ. His life is not a drifting or a dwelling on the past, but a single-minded pressing forward toward the goal. This holds a call for us. We can be held back by the past: by past failures that weigh us down with regret and discouragement, or by past successes that make us complacent, as though we had already arrived and need not press on. But Paul shows a better way: to forget what lies behind, releasing both its failures and its successes, and to strain forward, fixing our attention on the goal ahead, and pressing on toward it single-mindedly. The goal is the prize of God's call in Christ, the fullness of what God has called us to; and the way to it is not dwelling on the past, but pressing forward. To live with this single-minded, forward-pressing focus, not held back by the past, is to run the Christian race well. We do well to forget what lies behind and press on toward the goal, fixing our attention on the prize of God's call in Christ. Forget what lies behind, and press on toward the goal ahead. Do not let past failures or successes hold you back from pressing on. Fix your attention on the prize of God's call in Christ, and pursue it. Run the Christian race single-mindedly, forward-pressing, not dwelling on the past.

That is worth taking to heart, for we do well to forget what lies behind and press on toward the goal, as Paul pursued the prize single-mindedly. We can be held back by past failures or successes; but Paul forgot what was behind and strained forward, pressing on toward the goal. Press on. Do not let the past, its failures or successes, hold you back; forget what lies behind, and press on toward the prize of God's call in Christ. Forget what lies behind, releasing both its failures and its successes, and press on toward the goal ahead, fixing your attention single-mindedly on the prize of God's call in Christ, as Paul described his single-minded pursuit of the goal, forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what is ahead and pressing on toward the prize of the high calling of God in Christ, saying one thing he did was forget the things behind and stretch forward to those before, pressing on toward the goal; for Paul does not rest on what he has attained nor let the past, its failures or successes, hold him back, but fixes his attention on the goal ahead and presses on toward it single-mindedly, his life one focused pursuit of the prize of God's call, which holds a call for us, since we can be held back by the past, by past failures that weigh us down with regret and discouragement or past successes that make us complacent as though we had arrived, but Paul shows a better way, to forget what lies behind and release both its failures and successes and strain forward and press on toward the goal single-mindedly, the goal being the prize of God's call in Christ and the way to it not dwelling on the past but pressing forward, so that to live with this single-minded, forward-pressing focus not held back by the past is to run the Christian race well, and we do well to forget what lies behind and press on toward the goal.

Lord, Paul describes his single-minded pursuit of the goal: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what is ahead, pressing on toward the prize of your call in Christ. One thing I do, Paul writes: forgetting the things which are behind and stretching forward to the things which are before, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Paul does not rest on what he has attained, nor does he let the past, its failures or even its successes, hold him back. He fixes his attention on the goal ahead, and presses on toward it single-mindedly. His life is one focused pursuit of the prize of your call in Christ. Show me the focus and forward motion in Paul's words. He says, one thing I do, marking a single, focused pursuit. And that one thing has two parts: forgetting what lies behind, and straining forward to what is ahead. Paul does not dwell on the past. He does not let past failures weigh him down and hold him back, nor does he rest on past successes as though he had already arrived; he forgets what is behind, releasing it, and fixes his attention forward. And so he presses on toward the goal, for the prize of your high calling in Christ. His life is a single-minded pressing forward. This holds a call for me. I can be held back by the past: by past failures that weigh me down with regret and discouragement, or by past successes that make me complacent, as though I had already arrived. But Paul shows a better way: to forget what lies behind, releasing both its failures and its successes, and to strain forward, fixing my attention on the goal ahead, and pressing on toward it single-mindedly. The goal is the prize of your call in Christ. Take that to my heart. Keep me from letting the past, its failures or successes, hold me back; help me forget what lies behind, Lord, and press on toward the goal ahead, fixing my attention single-mindedly on the prize of your call in Christ, running the Christian race forward-pressing, not dwelling on the past.