NaBloPoMo - Blog Post #29

"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 3:12-14

I am actually cheating here, because this is actually one of Evan's favorite passages. But I'm sneaking it in here because it makes me think of Evan, what with all the running analogies and all.
One of the most important things any good runner will tell you is to never look behind you. By all means, use your peripheral vision to see what may be coming up beside you, but looking behind you is a runner's death. In the split second you are turned around, you could trip, you could veer off course, you could run into something or someone, another runner could pass you, etc. In order to finish the race strong, you keep looking forward at the road ahead until you cross that finish line.
That is exactly what Paul is referring to here. In the great race of life, we should not be looking back, but always ahead. Looking back can only lead to destruction. We need to press on toward the crown that is promised us in heaven if we are faithful to God and continue to follow him. I've heard a saying that goes, "It doesn't matter if you are crawling, limping, walking, running or sprinting, as long as you're moving forward." I think that is good advice for our Christian lives. The bible tells us to put off our old lives of sin, so we have no choice but to move forward.
We have not yet reached that finish line. The finish line comes when Jesus Christ comes back for us, or he calls us home - whichever comes first. But until then, let's keep pressing on, forging ahead, and focusing heavenward.