Several years ago, I received an email from a leader in the church that was hurtful. She said some pretty nasty stuff to me… but stuff I knew wasn’t true. I think it came from a hurtful place in her own heart, but nevertheless, the words burnt like a hot iron. I knew that if I didn’t handle it right, it could lead me down the road of bitterness. And we know that nothing good ever comes from bitterness.
Then I thought of the apostle Paul. I knew he had been hurt. I figured stuff was said to him, too. After he became a believer, his world was turned upside down. He had more joy and contentment than he had ever had, but he also had to deal with all the haters. I tried to imagine the people who turned against him, family members who abandoned him, the nasty words he had to endure, the confused Christians, and the opposition he was up against.
So, how did he handle it? Obviously, he lived a victorious life. A life I think we all want. Yet, so many of us haven’t found it. I found Paul’s answer as I studied the book of Philippians. Paul tells us exactly how he achieved a victorious life in Philippians 3:12-14.
Previous in this chapter, Paul gives a description of things he had found confidence in before he was a believer in Jesus (Philippians 3:5-6). Once Jesus invaded his heart, everything changed. Jesus was his whole focus! But here’s the thing… it was up to him if he wanted to live victoriously. Likewise, it’s a choice we all make.
Paul offers 4 principles to help us live victorious lives:
- Abandon self!
Paul writes: “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 (Philippians 3:12).
At one time, Paul sought perfection through obeying the law and persecuting Christians. He believed that would gain him great accolades in God’s eyes. But he realized how wrong he was once he came to know Christ. It wasn’t all about him any more. Jesus took center stage. He abandoned his old way of thinking and adopted Christ’s way.
Sometimes we need to make the first move, apologize, or work to remedy the situation even if we’re not at fault. Sometimes we need to do the right thing for the better good – for the sake of a relationship or for unity in the family. We need to abandon ourselves for God’s greater purposes. Pray for God to give you a tender heart that is open to His ways.
- Forget the past!
Listen to Paul’s words: “No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead” (Philippians 3:13).
We cannot go forward by looking back. Paul isn’t talking about the good things God has done for us. Of course, we should always focus on those things. But he’s talking about the bad things – the hurt and pain that’s threatening to undo us. When we hold onto these things, we get stuck: stuck in bitterness, stuck in unforgiveness, stuck in discouragement, and stuck in anxiety. Once we’re stuck, it’s easy to sink. And then it becomes that much harder to get out.
We need to forget the past – put it behind us. Give it to Jesus. He is the Master at handling all those difficult things. It’s His desire that we are free from the heavy weights crushing us. He wants us to live as victors, not as victims.
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- Look forward!
Again, Paul said: “No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead” (Philippians 3:13).
The direction we need to be going is forward. Any other direction is the WRONG direction. Runners always look forward – keeping their eye on the finish line. If they glance back for a second, they could lose their footing or lose their momentum. You and I can easily get distracted and also lose our momentum if we keep our eyes on the past. We need to ALWAYS look forward.
If you have a hard time doing this, then get an accountability partner – someone you trust that will be willing to help you succeed at your goals of running without distraction.
Keep your eyes on the finish line. One day the race will be over and we will have crossed victors. Doesn’t this make you smile?
- Press on!
Paul concludes this section with these words: “I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us” (Philippians 3:14).
It’s important that we don’t give up, no matter how difficult the race becomes. If Paul can keep pressing on (despite many obstacles), then we can too.
Life is hard and we live in a fallen, sinful place. People (even Christians) can – and will – hurt us. Circumstances will become overwhelming. Discouragement can invade our space from all different facets. Trust me, I’ve felt like quitting more than a few times. But God prevailed in each situation.
So, when you feel abandoned, hurt, at a loss, confused, unsuccessful, like a failure, unworthy, unsure, or disheartened, the apostle Paul gives us GREAT advice: Press On!
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Blessings,
