Press On
Scripture
I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.
Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.
Brothers and sisters, 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.
– Philippians 3:10–14 (NIV)
Paul’s desire here is unmistakable. He wants to know Christ, fully and deeply. Not just the power of His resurrection but the fellowship of His sufferings. This was never about chasing spiritual experiences or personal gain. Paul was chasing Jesus, and he understood that to know Christ meant becoming like Him, even in suffering and death. Christ had taken hold of him for a reason, and Paul’s entire life had become an answer to that calling. He was no longer living for comfort, success, or reputation. He was living for the glory of God and the joy of knowing Him.
But Paul is honest about where he stands. Not that I have already obtained all this, he says, but I press on. That phrase captures the heart of spiritual maturity. Not arrival, but pursuit. Growth in Christ does not happen by accident. It requires effort, intention, and a willingness to release what is behind. Paul was not dwelling on his failures or his accomplishments. He was straining toward what was ahead.
“Complacency is a deadly foe of all spiritual growth.”¹
— A.W. Tozer, The Pursuit of God
Tozer named exactly what Paul refused to settle into. To follow Jesus is to keep moving, and the moment we stop pressing forward, something in us begins to atrophy. Many of us carry things that weigh us down. Regrets, shame, old wounds, distractions, even good things that have quietly become ultimate things. To press on means we have to let some of that go. We are not called to live in reverse, replaying what is behind us. We are called to walk with Jesus, day by day, into what He has already prepared.
So do not coast. Do not look back. Do not let yesterday define what God is doing in you today. Our salvation is a gift, but our transformation is a journey, and the goal is not just heaven someday. It is Christlikeness now. That is the prize. That is the purpose. That is the call. Christ has taken hold of you for something more. Press on.
Reflection:
- What do you think it means to truly know Christ in the way Paul describes, both in His power and in His sufferings?
- Is there anything in your past, good or bad, that you need to release in order to move forward?
- Where is God calling you to press on with renewed faith and focus?
Prayer:
Thank God for taking hold of your life in Christ. Ask Him to give you fresh passion to pursue Him and clarity to let go of anything that is holding you back. Pray for the strength to press on today and every day, until the race is finished.
Footnote:
¹ A.W. Tozer, The Pursuit of God: The Human Thirst for the Divine (Camp Hill, PA: Christian Publications, 1948).