Philippians 3:12
I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me.

The great apostle Paul was a realist. He said, “I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead.” Then he noted that he wasn’t there yet; he had not “already achieved these things.” Can you relate? You are not where you want to be in your spiritual journey.

What’s holding you back? Could one thing be the fear of failing, or failing again? Maybe you’ve “gotten serious” about your walk with Christ before and made good progress—for a while—but then life got in the way, and you fell back into the same old habits of disobedience. Now you’re thinking, What’s the use? I don’t want to fail again.

Here’s the newsbreak—you will fail again. Perfection will not occur in this life. Reread today’s passage. Paul had not acquired what he wanted. He could not say, “Mission accomplished!” The Christian life is not the destination; it’s the process. That’s why we keep going. That’s why we press on. One of these days we will arrive at our goal—heaven! Until then the dusty, winding, and challenging paths of life call us to press on.

Father, don’t let us sit still, go back, or take a detour. Help us press on! In Jesus’ name. Amen.

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