Do you have a dream, or some form of a goal in life?
• You know, when we are young, people usually like to ask: “What would you want to be when you grow up?”
• Obama lived in Jakarta during his primary school years. His teacher said, “It is the common task of class to write an essay on ‘My dream: What I want to be in the future.’ And Obama wrote ‘I want to be a president,’ ” she said.
Usually we think about that when we are young, but not now.
• When we get older, we just live life as it comes. We have no goal or dream. Or we just don’t think much about it.
• But we need to. We need to set targets in life. May not be big or noble ones, but something that will provide the impetus or drive.
• Prov 29:18 “Where there is no vision, the people perish.”
• Someone said, “The size of our dream will determine the size of our life. And no matter how old we are or where we find ourselves, when our memories exceed our dreams, life is over for us.”
What I am thinking about is not to chisel a plaque with a MISSION STATEMENT and pin it up on our wall, like corporation’s mission statement behind the front desk.
• I’m thinking of simple, personal goals – I’m talking about spiritual goals - about my relationship with God, about my role in His church, about the work He has called me to do.
• We need to have a picture of a finishing line, to provide me the direction and impetus. If knowing God is one of my goals, then I may want to plan my time to read through the NT and finish it in one year. If I want to nourish my spiritual life, then I may want to read a Christian book a year.
I’m encouraged by Paul’s undying passion for the Lord.
• He says in 3:12, “Not that I have already been made perfect” talks about his desire to grow to be like Christ.
• He says in 3:14, “I press on toward the goal…” talks about his desire to complete the race, that is, to finish the work God has given him to do.
Paul is not satisfied with where he is at. He is still seeking to grow and improve. There is more to achieve. He wants to do more for Christ.
• And if you know at what stage of life he is at, you will be more amazed.
• When he wrote Philippians, he was under house arrest in Rome, at the last stage of his life, sometime around 62A.D.
By now, he has written the letters to the churches that we have in our Bible.
• If we arrange them in chronological order, the letters he has written by this time are the letters to the Galatians, the Thessalonians, the Corinthians, the Romans, Philemon, Hebrews (likely), Colossians and Ephesians.
• He has already written almost half of the NT that we have today. Look at the immense contributions he has made, in the teaching of God’s truth.
In order words, he has already established these many churches throughout Asia Minor and Greece.
• Not only that, he must have trained pastors and leaders to oversee them.
• And he has served the Lord for over 20 years now, since his ministry started in Jerusalem back in 40AD.
Paul has achieved a great deal, by any standard.
• Yet he is not satisfied. He is not going to retire; he is not going to stop.
• He is still running - “I press on toward the goal to win the prize…” (v.14).
• He could have been thinking about retiring, after starting up so many churches, trained up so many leaders, and written to many letters.
Complacency did not seep in. Lethargy did not set in.
• Paul never permitted himself to be satisfied with his spiritual attainments.
• Are you? Are you contented with where you are? Very satisfied with what we’ve achieved for Christ?
How can we keep the momentum going, in the spiritual sense?
(1) Develop a Sense of Dissatisfaction
Never be content in the spiritual sense.
• To us, Paul has done ‘enough’. But he is not. To him, there is always ‘room for improvement’.
• We are to be contented with what we have, but we cannot be contented with our spiritual walk with God. The time we feel satisfied, we cease to grow.
If you have read the Gospels, read the rest of the NT. If you have finished reading the NT, start reading the OT. If you have read the entire Bible once, do it a second time. These aren’t just noble goals. You are reaping spiritual blessings for eternity to come.
CHECKING ON HIMSELF
I’m reminded of a story of a grocery store owner who overheard a young boy using the pay phone at the entrance of his store.
You know how telephone conversations are; you usually hear only one side of the conversation.
The young boy was talking and the store manager was listening, “Hello, sir, I was calling you to see if you could use a lawn boy to do your yard work!”
“Oh, I see, you already have one!”
“Well, is he doing your work to your satisfaction?”
“He is! Thank you sir, I was just checking,” then the young boy hung up the phone.
The grocery store owner looked at the boy and said, “Sorry you didn’t get the job!”
“Oh, no sir,” said the boy. “I’ve already got that job. I was just calling to check up on myself!”
How will God appraise you today?
Adopt this attitude in life. The race is not finished until God says it is finished.
• We do not want to be complacent in spiritual matters. Paul says, “I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it.” (v.13)
• When you are dissatisfied, you will grow. You will “forget what is behind and strive for what is ahead.” You want to finish the race and get the prize.
DON’T GIVE UP - Charles Spurgeon shared this story:
A poor woman had a pack of rice grains laid at her door by a charitable neighbour.
A very little girl came out with a small cup and began to take up a cupful at a time and carry it to a sort of bin in the kitchen.
I said to the child, "Do you expect to get all that rice in with that little cup?"
She was quite confused by my question, but her answer was very striking, "Yes sir, if I work long enough."
Spurgeon says, “The repetition of small efforts will accomplish more than the occasional use of great talents.”
• If we remain faithful in doing little things, we can accomplish great things.
• Greatness comes not just from ability, but also from consistency.
• So don’t quit. When you still have the chance, invest in things spiritual.
(2) Be Devoted to a Cause
It’s been said that there are three kinds of people in the world.
• There are those that make things happen.
• There are those who watch things happen.
• There are those who have no idea what’s happening. They are wasting their lives. Paul was in that first group.
Paul was successful because he was devoted to a cause.
• He has not swayed from it for 20 over years. He received the call to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles and was determined to do it.
• He travelled far and wide, throughout Asia Minor, taking on 3 tedious and long missionary journeys, setting up churches and training pastors to shepherd them.
• He kept moving from place to place. He did not stop. He does not want to stop.
No persecution can stop him. No hardship can sway his resolve. No imprisonment can discourage him.
• Paul says, “This one thing I do…. I press on toward the goal…” (vv.13-14a)
• He did not say, “These 10 things I am trying to do…”
• If you want to live an effective life, you need a focus. Don’t try to do everything. Just do a few things and do them as best you can and your life will be effective.
• You don’t have time for everything. You can’t do everything.
• Do what you are good at, what God has gifted you in. And when you know what you need to do, set a goal and do it.
Focused light has tremendous power. You can’t set a leaf on fire by putting it under the sunlight, but you can burn it under a magnifying glass. Get the rays to focus on one point and you set it on fire.
When light is concentrated at an even higher level, like a laser beam, you can even cut through steel and control it to heal your eye-sight.
A focused life will have a far greater impact. Do you have any spiritual goal?
What is the one thing you need to do?
• Jesus said to the rich young ruler in Mark 10:21 “one thing you lack...”
• Jesus said to busy Martha in Luke 10:42 “Only one thing is needed...”
• David wrote in the Psalms, “One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple.” (Psalm 27:4)
Ask God to impress upon you the ONE THING you need today?
• Plan your life and you will live it well.
PLAN YOUR LIFE
A famous British writer George Bernard Shaw once visited a sculptor Sir Jacob Epstein at his studio. The visitor noticed a huge block of stone standing in one corner and asked what it was for. "I don’t know yet. I’m still making plans."
Shaw was astounded. "You mean you plan your work. Why, I change my mind several times a day!" As a writer, he just starts writing whatever comes to him.
"That’s all very well with a four-ounce manuscript," replied the sculptor, "but not with a four-ton block of stone.”
Planning what you are going to eat tonight is easy. Deciding how you are going to live the rest of your life is not.
• God wants us to think long term. What are we doing for eternity sake?
• Paul was preoccupied with heaven. That was what motivated him.
• He was concerned to see His Saviour. He was concerned to hear "Well done" from the Lord. He was concerned to be rewarded by His Saviour. He was concerned for eternal glory, and that was his preoccupation!
• What are you preoccupied by today, spiritually speaking?
You see, Paul knew very little of earthly comforts or pleasures.
• He was uncomfortable most of the time - imprisoned, beaten, shipwrecked, and stoned, persecuted – he was often in some kind of pain or difficulty.
• But he was not too concerned about that. He was committed to live a productive life and moving toward a goal. And that goal was all tied to heaven.
• Let’s do the same. Strive for the heavenly goal, for the heavenly reward God prepared for us.
CONCLUDE: So let us learn from Paul.
• In spiritual matters, never be contented. Always strive to grow and do better.
• And remember God’s purpose for our lives and be devoted to it.
• Don’t be distracted by the many things in life.
