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"Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."
(Philippians 3:13-14)
The Lord has given me a special word for this year, and I am grateful. The word is "forward", and each day this week, I am writing a message about this one word. We are living in a new day no doubt. Things have changed overnight, it feels like. Carey Nieuwhof, a pastor in Ontario, Canada, says crisis is a change accelerant, and that is truly the case. Crisis has come, and we can't live out our usual routines right now. Every facet of society has been disrupted; so how do we respond? We have to step forward in total dependence on God and move ahead with the Gospel and our vision to reach people and help them grow in Christ.
There are three similar words Paul uses in these two verses in Philippians 3, as he writes to the Church at Philippi in the 1st Century. The words are forward, toward, and upward. Paul was a forward kind of guy. He did not spend time reflecting on regrets or missed opportunities of the past, but he had this positive, forward-leaning mindset that kept him in the present, with an eye to the future. He blazed a mighty trail in Gospel expansion as he traveled the Roman world preaching Christ, planting churches, and raising up future leaders. I must admit this is my passion as a pastor and evangelist today in the 21st Century: preach the Word, disciple people, plant churches, and train future leaders of the church.
Paul, with humility, says he has not "apprehended". He doesn't know everything there is to know. He was still learning more about the salvation he had experienced in Christ and the ministry to which Christ had called him. No Christian ever arrives. No one can ever say, "Well, I have made it; there is no more room for me to grow as a Christian." We keep walking toward Christ and that great day when we see Him face to face in heaven. And after that, even for all eternity, we will still learn more about God and serve Him in fresh and innovative ways. The Christian who feels he or she has arrived has not even gotten off the starting block.
"But one thing I do" are words of intensity. They remind me of a book I read by Gary Keller of the Keller Williams real estate company, The One Thing. It is a good and motivational read on how to dismiss distractions and have a laser-like focus on your one main objective.
First, he begins with the word "forget". We often think of this as a negative word or concept, since we associate it with forgetting keys or a phone number or an anniversary, but it is actually very healthy and powerful. If you live in the past and all your glory and victories that happened then, you do two things: you get stuck, and you harshly judge those who are getting unstuck.
Paul did not do that. He basically said, "No, I try to forget." You and I cannot lean and look forward if we are always looking backward. Looking primarily at the rear-view mirror while driving your vehicle forward is not only difficult but very dangerous.
Rick Mellick writes, "First, 'forgetting what is behind' comprehensively expresses Paul's future orientation. What was done was done! Both the nostalgia of the former life and the 'good ole days' of his Christian life would paralyze him in terms of what God wanted in the future. Every day was a new adventure." (Melick, R. R. (1991). Philippians, Colossians, Philemon (Vol. 32, p. 139). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.)
As for, "reaching forward to those things which are ahead", think of the athletic analogy that Paul wants us to ponder: the runner strains every fiber of his being, every sinew, muscle and ligament to reach the finish line of his race and obtain the prize.
"Those things which are ahead": God wants us to accomplish great things for Him in this life and spend eternity with Him in heaven. The past has passed. Thank God for victories and the sacrifice of those who have gone before us, but now, let us stand on the shoulders of great men and women of faith and move forward.
The word "onward" is much like the word "forward". Both words are positive, optimistic, and looking ahead to brighter days. Howard Schultz was the key factor in taking Starbucks from 4 stores to a world-wide business phenomenon. He was the CEO from 1986 to 2000 and then again from 2008 until 2017. But like any success story, they had their fair share of setbacks and difficulties. In fact, when he became the leader of Starbucks again in 2008, they were at a low point and losing ground quickly. When times were bleak, Schultz determined to be positive and forward in his thinking. Every leader knows he or she sets the pace or the room temperature. If you are a leader and reading this devotion today, let me encourage you to not cave in during this coronavirus, but be positive; yes, be realistic, but help people see ahead to brighter and better days. Yes, be that kind of leader!
Schultz decided to end his letters and emails with one word, and that word captured the essence of his belief in the company and the belief that better days were surely to come. What was that one word? "Onward." In fact, the title of the book about this story is, Onward: How Starbucks Fought for Its Life Without Losing Its Soul.
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