Philippians 3:10-13 “that I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, in order that I might attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained it, or have already become perfect, but I press on in order that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid of by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do; forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”
What is it that motivates us? Often, our motivation comes out of the necessity to provide for the physical needs of ourselves and those around us as; and we are often motivated to acquire the things that we believe will bring us pleasure. Those motivations are not wrong or evil-it depends on the condition of our heart. With that being said, lets look at at the really important sources of motivation that have tremendous short term and long term benefits. First, we live in a temporal world where all things end and/or wear out; But God’s kingdom is eternal and the things of God are eternal. That should get our attention. Another mystery is that we can be content and at the same time be pursuing something or pressing on to something greater. Pursing the things of God and seeking to grow in our knowledge of Him brings about lasting peace in us. We can experience many of God’s blessings here on earth, but there are yet much greater things that we will experience when He returns for His people. The greatest thing we could ever accomplish is being ready for His return. If we are to be found ready at His return, then we must be about fulfilling the call He has for us in this life and we must be about getting to know Him in greater ways. So, let us forget what lies behind and let us be pressing on in increasing in our knowledge of Him. We are in an awesome race, and the prize is before us.
1 John 2:28 “And now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears we may have confidence and not shrink from Him in shame at His coming.”
1 Thessalonians 5:23 “Now may the God of peace sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Blessings, Buddy