“Press on!”
It’s the anthem of walking with Christ, but it often feels like an empty encouragement. I’ve already been running so long and so hard—serving in multiple ministries, attending every church event, meeting with my community group, confessing sin and repenting regularly… Do I really need to be doing all of this?
Do you ever feel like God is asking too much of you? Sure, you want to look more like Jesus and follow His instructions, but it feels like His discipline and growth come too often and too fast. How do we find the strength and will to press on when all we want is a break?
The tension lies in our misunderstanding of a grace-fueled life. Yes, the grace we receive in Christ means rest, but not a rest from efforts—from earning. So whether we train, discipline, or fail, our higher purpose and calling remain secure and hidden in Jesus. We cannot outrun our freedom, nor can we lose it. The freedom and grace Jesus won for us is what empowers us to keep running the race of faith.
So, how does Paul suggest we press on?
Paul says he presses on by “forgetting what lies behind” (Philippians 3:13). He had just finished describing some highlights (and lowlights) of his life as a blameless Law-keeper and zealous persecutor of the church, counting them as loss compared to Christ’s worthiness. Now, he forgets his best and worst efforts entirely.
What parts of your past hold you back from pressing on in your faith and discipleship? Maybe you’re imagining an idealized version of a time before you were actively running toward Jesus, when things were seemingly simple, when you followed your desires into instant gratification, when you felt like you did enough, had enough, and were enough. Or maybe what’s holding you back is a constant nag of past failures and regrets. You’re terrified of another failure, another empty hope that comes to nothing.
Paul says to forget these simplistic pursuits that will not fulfill you. They cannot define you nor give your life meaning. You were bought with a price and secured with a destiny and inheritance that will never fade (1 Peter 1:4).
Because of Christ, we know where the finish line is, and it’s not here. Jesus is preparing for us “an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison” (2 Corinthians 4:16).
Without the image of Christ’s completed work at the center of your mind, you will not be able to endure. You will be too tempted by the subtle seduction of comfort. You will be too weary from the relentless ache and weight of suffering and sin. Your hope must be fixed on something greater—the Day when Christ appears and makes all things new.
Paul calls this kind of thinking “mature” (Philippians 3:15). It’s the kind of mindset that unlocks the power to press on with a joy rooted in the promise to come: unhindered communion with Christ for eternity in full glory.
“But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:31)
There is a finish line to life, and someday you will reach it. For now, we leave behind our past, we fix our eyes on the future, and we press on until He calls us home.
Want to dive deeper? Check out our sermon series guide on the book of Philippians, or watch the most recent sermon from our Philippians sermon series.
