A Journey Worth Taking
An old adage we have heard time and time again is that life is a journey. It is full of twists and turns, good times and bad, with several stops, or should I say pauses, along the way. Our journey can reveal many things about us. Maybe it involves travel, time with family and friends, and the occasional weekend project that we are thrilled to have completed.
As we contemplate our journey, consider the apostle Paul. While writing his letter to the Philippians, Paul’s journey has found a trying circumstance. He is writing this letter to the people of Philippi while in Roman imprisonment. Imagine that, a letter that has brought so much joy and hope to so many was actually written while the author was in prison! Even in a troubling situation, Paul’s journey is a joyous one.
Now if I may be frank, if Paul is able to still find joy along his journey, what is keeping you from finding joy in yours? In Philippians 3: 12-21 Paul is striving for the people of Philippi to embrace the journey and to live a life that is centered around Christ. Even today, our challenge is to embrace our journey, embrace our life situation, and live our lives focused on Christ.
Three key elements that this passage should reveal to us along our journey are first, we should press on and be bold along our journey. Verses 12 through 16 continually tell us to “press on” and to focus on what lies ahead. Even as we make mistakes and stumble along our journey, we should keep our eyes on the prize that is a life in eternity with the Lord.
Things of this world will constantly try to hinder our faith. We cannot let our worries and our failures hold us back from a growing relationship with the Father. We must press on. We must keep our eyes focused on what lies ahead which is one day standing in the presence of our heavenly Father.
Not only should we press on and be bold but we should also be careful along our journey. In verse 17 we are called to be imitators. This should be a startling revelation for each one of us. The question we should ask ourselves is, “Are my actions worthy of being imitated?” I can’t help but think of a small child imitating their parent. This challenge we face is to be the Christian role model that reveals Christ in all that one does.
Our imitation should reflect the Lord, not lead people away from Him. Not only do we have to be careful of our own actions but careful of the actions of those around us. Folks, Satan is prowling around every corner we turn.
We must be on high alert. There’s nothing more that Satan wants to do than to see a child of God fall away from their faith. Christ warns us that many will come as wolves dressed in sheep’s clothing, wanting to mislead and try and destroy at any cost.
Third and finally, this passage reveals that we must realize that our citizenship is in heaven. So often, we feel that our earthly qualities are what defines us. We belong to this political party, or we associate with that sports team, but we must realize that at our core, our real identity should be in our relationship with the Father.
Do those you interact with daily know that you are a person of faith? If they don’t, you may need to reevaluate your own relationship with the Father. Each one of us are foreigners in this world. Because of this, we should be ambassadors of our forever home in Heaven! Our goal should be to lead people to the foot of the Cross, not drive them away.
My challenge to each of us is to evaluate how you are taking your own journey. Are you representing Christ? And if you have fallen off of your journey a bit the good news today is that Christ still wants to take this journey with you. Place all your trust in Him today.
Allow Him to guide your every thought and action. Place Him in the center of your journey. May God Bless each of you with Christ-centered 2021.