Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. — Philippians 3:13-14
Have you ever heard the saying, “things happen.” I have heard this saying many times in my life as “things” have happened. These “things” are often trials and challenges that have come along the way that can create moments of difficulty as we journey through life.
Aside from just difficulty, these “things” can often cause us distraction. If you are like me, you can often think back to times in your life where you were working toward something. Then, all of the sudden, something happened. Maybe it was a sickness, circumstance, accident, or one of dozens of other things. You had your mind set working toward something, but then suddenly, there was a “thing.”
As the saying goes, things will happen. There are events that will happen in this life that will easily try to distract us and knock us off our course. Paul writes to the Philippians on how to deal with the “things” of life, giving the example of a runner who has had various events happen during the race.
He doesn’t say try to avoid them, because they are going to happen. There’s no way to avoid “things” happening in life. Instead, he says to look ahead and focus on what God has called us to do. We are called to a life of service to God and we should focus on that calling rather than the things that are behind us.
Have you had “things” happen in your life that have distracted you from living for God? Are there “things” that have disrupted your commitment and journey? While we must deal with the “things” of life, we must do so by keeping our focus on God and living for Him!
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