In just over two months, my wife and I are expecting to be grandparents for the first time. It is a precious time and it can’t get here soon enough for us! It seems like just a couple of years ago we were having children. Time moves on. Life moves on. As God’s people, we must be continually moving on spiritually.
Rudy GrayIn 1950, Hank Snow had the number one song in country music, “I’m Moving On.”
Forrest Gump said, “My mama always said you’ve got to put the past behind you before you can move on.”
Helen Keller said, “When one door closes, another opens. But often we look so long, so regretfully, upon the closed door, that we fail to see the one that is opened for us.”
In Philippians 3:13-14, Paul wrote, “Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”
The Christian life is like a marathon race and we need markers or goals along the course to show us the right way. Jesus is the goal. We talk about following Jesus and this is exactly what Paul is saying. The upward call begins when we are saved and is consummated when we meet our Lord in heaven. Between conversion and heaven, we run the race that is set before us. How? Keep moving on.
We are always maturing and never reach full maturity this side of heaven. Every child of God is called to move on. How? We must have the right priority (Matthew 6:33). We must live a consistent walk of faith (Luke 9:62). We must concentrate (Hebrews 12:2). In fact, the Christian life is more about focus than effort. Finally, we must live with the right motive (1 Corinthians 10:31).
It is so easy to get discouraged, become distracted, or lose motivation. Our energy is simply not enough to run the race. God’s Spirit supplies us with more than enough strength (John 10:10), but we must focus on Him so we can move on.
Wherever you are in your life, keep moving on by focusing on Christ our Lord.