Eyes On The Prize

Ask anybody who has done hurdles in track and field, and they get it...

[This is the fifth part in a series on the book of Philippians.]

Philippians 3:12-21 

"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.  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, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."

Paul continues in his letter here, telling us that we need to keep our focus ahead.  He says "Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,".  This is important for any competitor who is running any sort of race. If they were to take their eyes off of what was ahead of them, to look behind at what they had already done, they are likely to crash into the next obstacle.  You have to keep your eyes ahead of you, so that you don't EAT IT because you didn't see what lies ahead of you!  

For example - 

Sometimes I get distracted.  Every now and then, I get a small case of ADHD, and can't quite seem to stay focused.  But one thing I make sure of, is that no matter what I do, I keep my eyes on the REAL prize, the prize that will never fade, the prize which will last forever, that is Jesus Christ.  

1 Corinthians 9:24

"Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize."

In this life, there will be many things trying to get you to take your eyes off the prize.  There will be plenty of obstacles as you navigate your way from one grade to the next, then on to college, and then on to the "real world" (why they call it that, I don't know.)  If you are going to get through, in order to keep from crashing and burning, you must keep your eyes on the prize, Jesus Christ.

Think about any time you've seen somebody run the hurdles in track. The hurdlers are running a race to get a specific prize. They know their goal, and they know what stands between them and their goal. There are obstacles all along the way in their race to get the prize. If they take their eyes off of the course for just ONE SECOND, they are TOAST. Trust me, I've seen hurdlers wipe out, and it is NOT PRETTY. 

It only takes one small obstacle to knock us completely out of the race.

Here's the good news, Jesus is rooting for you! He's up in the stands like a crazy soccer mom (or dad) loosing his voice and annoying all the other soccer moms around him! Not only that, but if you've taken your eyes off the prize, and feel like you're out of the race, it's not too late! Jesus is there before you know it to pick you up and continue the race with you! Jesus is all about SECOND CHANCES.

If you keep your eyes on Him, following what He says (the only way you will know this is by READING your Bible) then you will be able to clearly see the path ahead, avoiding all major stumbling blocks which could cost you everything.  

Have you ever taken your eyes off the prize and had it cost you something? Remember, God often uses our greatest pains to help others. Share your experience in the comments below!