This One Thing I Do

Most men put great value in being known for something and God certainly created us to be doers and to accomplish things in His creation. The apostle Paul certainly had many things he could point to in regard to his accomplishments. Yet, notice what he said about his life purpose in Philippians 3:13-14: 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.

As a religious scholar and zealous persecutor of the early church prior to his coming to Christ, Paul didn't allow himself to wallow in guilt, nor did he take undue pride in his significant success in evangelizing the Gentiles. He chose not to rest on his past laurels and stop working fervently to spread the Gospel. He knew that he still had much to learn, much to do and that the process of becoming Christ-like is a lifelong journey. Paul realized what the prize really was--the joy in accomplishing God's purposes in his life and the eternal reward in Heaven for reaching this goal on earth.

In a world filled with distractions and meaningless pursuits where dreams and hopes can die in a moment's notice, we would be wise to define and examine our true purpose and whether or not it has any eternal significance. Are we pressing on toward the mark of a high calling or are we stuck in neutral due to guilt, fear, doubt or lack of purpose? Make sure this one thing you do puts you on a path for an eternal prize.