A New Year’s Resolve

“Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” ~Philippians 3:13-14

We often begin the year thinking in terms of resolutions. We start a big checklist of all of the things that we want to accomplish. We have lofty goals and, if you’re like me, they normally taper off by the end of February as we slip back into the same old comfortable habits, diets, and screen usage that we had last year. If you happen to drive by a gym on your way to work or school in the mornings, take note of how full the parking lot is each morning in January and how sparse it becomes by the end of February. For all of our good intentions, change seldom seems to stick.

It can feel like this in the Christian life too, can’t it? It seems that we struggle with those same old sins, same old bad habits, same old ways of thinking that we’ve always had, and it can feel a bit hopeless at times. We see the Christian’s call to live all of life to the glory of God and to enjoy Him forever, yet we fall woefully short each and every day.

Thankfully, the Apostle Paul is no stranger to this battle, and as we begin this new year, let Paul’s words encourage you as you press on in the Christian life in three particular ways highlighted in this passage.

First, Paul speaks of forgetting what lies behind. Think of Paul’s past as a persecutor of Christ. He, of all people, would know what it was like to have his past keep him up at night, yet he tells us to forget what is behind. As you begin this year, remember that if you are in Christ, your sins are really and truly forgiven. There is great mercy in a sanctified self-forgetfulness.

Second, he encourages us to strain forward to what lies ahead. The Greek here speaks of stretching, like when an athlete rounds that final corner before the finish line and his muscles are pushed to the limit. Paul works for it. He leans into what is ahead by the Holy Spirit. He gives the Christian life his all for the glory of Jesus Christ.

Finally, he speaks of the goal. What is the goal for which Paul is leaving behind the past and straining forward? It is for the glory of Christ and the heavenly prize. Paul yearns to see Christ and to finish the race well, just as you and I should. He emphasizes that he’s living for more than today, for more than a boss’s approval or the next report card. He’s living today with eyes on glory.

This is more than a mere resolution, like items on a checklist, but a resolve as a way to live—a resolve to leave the past behind, to work for what's ahead, and to keep your eyes fixed upon Christ and the age to come. May the Lord give you grace as you pursue holiness, mortify sin, and grow in love for Christ and His people this year.

Rev. Alex Yonjof, Bi-Vocational Associate Pastor