By Shirley Mitchell
“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 3:13-14
My daughter Mikayla surprised us when she came home from school and announced that she wanted to try out for the middle school basketball team. I was quite shocked since I didn’t even know if she could dribble. I realize this may get us banished from the state of Kentucky, but I didn’t even think she had watched five games of basketball her whole life. Doubts about her motives and concerns that she may be embarrassed crossed my husband’s and my minds. We prayed about it, and we thought God said yes. So she tried out for the team and made it.
During the first basketball practice, the coach pulled Mikayla over to the side and said that he could tell that she was an athlete. She said yes, she played soccer. He told her that he was glad that she was so aggressive, but that she needed to know something about basketball. In basketball, a player only gets five fouls so she might foul out of a few games.
In her first game, Mikayla had about 20 steals of the ball from the other team. At one game after a great steal and blasting down the court to the goal, my friend next to me said, “Mikayla is just leaving a trail of bodies all over the basketball court.” She didn’t know what a “travel” was and turned the ball over by taking extra steps. When she shot the ball, she shot like she was kicking a soccer ball with all her force to get past a goalie. The ball would slam off the backboard and down the court. She didn’t know many of the rules or the finesse of scoring, but she knew one thing. She knew how to get that ball.
I asked her after her first couple of games how she was able to steal the ball so much. She told me, “Mommy, it’s easy. I just keep my eyes on the ball. I don’t get distracted by the other things going on. My eyes are glued to the ball. I focus on one thing.”
God reminded me of Paul’s “one thing” in Philippians 3:13-14. Paul says in chapter 3 that he wants to know Christ, but he knows that he hasn’t achieved his goal yet. So he does one thing. He forgets what is behind. He strains toward what is ahead. He presses on to the goal to win the prize for which God has called him heavenward in Jesus Messiah.
God started to speak to my heart. What if we Christians pressed on to the heavenly prize like Mikayla presses on the basketball court? What if we desired one thing just like she desires to possess that basketball? I exclaimed what a great physical world reminder to be that tenaciously tough spiritually! Gosh, she inspired me to seek God and to be determined to fulfill my calling.
God’s Word tells us over and over that this world will be filled with many troubles. We will have trials. We will have burdens. We will be distracted, but Jesus Christ has overcome the world. He has taken the prize for us and asks us to reach out and grab onto it. We do this by casting our burdens upon Him. We break free from the distractions that so easily entangle us.
So beloved, how are doing on focusing on the one thing that really matters in this life? Where is your attention? How is your tenacity for experiencing as much of God as a person can have? Remember it is all about one thing.
Pray with me: Almighty God, You are magnificent. You are radiant. You are lovely. You are worthy. We exalt Your Name and proclaim Your greatness. Your ways are perfect. Your judgments are right. You alone know the end from the beginning.
We ask that You help us be like Paul and focus on one thing – You. We want to know You and to make You known. Holy Spirit, how are we doing on focusing on the one thing? Are You pleased with our tenacity to press toward the heavenly goal? Or do we need to make some corrections in our lives where we have become troubled or distracted about many things? Teach us Your ways. Give us the tenacity like Mikayla’s to seek You and fulfill Your plan for our lives. Increase our desire to know You. It is in the Name above all names, Jesus’ Name, Yeshua’s Name, that we pray, Amen.
“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 3:13-14
My daughter Mikayla surprised us when she came home from school and announced that she wanted to try out for the middle school basketball team. I was quite shocked since I didn’t even know if she could dribble. I realize this may get us banished from the state of Kentucky, but I didn’t even think she had watched five games of basketball her whole life. Doubts about her motives and concerns that she may be embarrassed crossed my husband’s and my minds. We prayed about it, and we thought God said yes. So she tried out for the team and made it.
During the first basketball practice, the coach pulled Mikayla over to the side and said that he could tell that she was an athlete. She said yes, she played soccer. He told her that he was glad that she was so aggressive, but that she needed to know something about basketball. In basketball, a player only gets five fouls so she might foul out of a few games.
In her first game, Mikayla had about 20 steals of the ball from the other team. At one game after a great steal and blasting down the court to the goal, my friend next to me said, “Mikayla is just leaving a trail of bodies all over the basketball court.” She didn’t know what a “travel” was and turned the ball over by taking extra steps. When she shot the ball, she shot like she was kicking a soccer ball with all her force to get past a goalie. The ball would slam off the backboard and down the court. She didn’t know many of the rules or the finesse of scoring, but she knew one thing. She knew how to get that ball.
I asked her after her first couple of games how she was able to steal the ball so much. She told me, “Mommy, it’s easy. I just keep my eyes on the ball. I don’t get distracted by the other things going on. My eyes are glued to the ball. I focus on one thing.”
God reminded me of Paul’s “one thing” in Philippians 3:13-14. Paul says in chapter 3 that he wants to know Christ, but he knows that he hasn’t achieved his goal yet. So he does one thing. He forgets what is behind. He strains toward what is ahead. He presses on to the goal to win the prize for which God has called him heavenward in Jesus Messiah.
God started to speak to my heart. What if we Christians pressed on to the heavenly prize like Mikayla presses on the basketball court? What if we desired one thing just like she desires to possess that basketball? I exclaimed what a great physical world reminder to be that tenaciously tough spiritually! Gosh, she inspired me to seek God and to be determined to fulfill my calling.
God’s Word tells us over and over that this world will be filled with many troubles. We will have trials. We will have burdens. We will be distracted, but Jesus Christ has overcome the world. He has taken the prize for us and asks us to reach out and grab onto it. We do this by casting our burdens upon Him. We break free from the distractions that so easily entangle us.
So beloved, how are doing on focusing on the one thing that really matters in this life? Where is your attention? How is your tenacity for experiencing as much of God as a person can have? Remember it is all about one thing.
Pray with me: Almighty God, You are magnificent. You are radiant. You are lovely. You are worthy. We exalt Your Name and proclaim Your greatness. Your ways are perfect. Your judgments are right. You alone know the end from the beginning.
We ask that You help us be like Paul and focus on one thing – You. We want to know You and to make You known. Holy Spirit, how are we doing on focusing on the one thing? Are You pleased with our tenacity to press toward the heavenly goal? Or do we need to make some corrections in our lives where we have become troubled or distracted about many things? Teach us Your ways. Give us the tenacity like Mikayla’s to seek You and fulfill Your plan for our lives. Increase our desire to know You. It is in the Name above all names, Jesus’ Name, Yeshua’s Name, that we pray, Amen.
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