Daily Scripture: Philippians 3:10 Yes, I gave it all up in order to know him, that is, to know the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings as I am being conformed to his death, 11 so that somehow I might arrive at being resurrected from the dead. 12 It is not that I have already obtained it or already reached the goal — no, I keep pursuing it in the hope of taking hold of that for which the Messiah Yeshua took hold of me. 13 Brothers, I, for my part, do not think of myself as having yet gotten hold of it; but one thing I do: forgetting what is behind me and straining forward toward what lies ahead, 14 I keep pursuing the goal in order to win the prize offered by God’s upward calling in the Messiah Yeshua.
Reflection Questions:
“Baseball wasn't easy for me,” Cubs’ great Ryne Sandberg said. One essential lesson athletes teach us is that “easy” is not the road to exceptional accomplishments, in baseball or in life. Paul said his walk of faith was nowhere near finished. He pictured a determined, forward-looking, life-long pursuit of “the prize of God’s upward call.”
- Scholar William Barclay said Paul’s word for reaching out “is very vivid and is used of a racer going hard for the tape. It describes him with eyes for nothing but the goal. It describes the man who is going flat out for the finish.” Whatever your age or life stage, how can you live your life in such a way that you, too, are going flat out for the goal of living the life God has called you to? What choices can you make this week, this month, which will empower you to run God’s race with eyes for nothing but the prize?
- In verse 13, Paul shared an essential truth in pursuing God's goals: "I forget about the things behind me and reach out for the things ahead of me." The process of spiritual growth focuses on what is to come, not what lies behind. Are you letting anything from your past define you in the present? Ask God to help you focus on the things ahead, not the things (bad or good) in the past.
O God, thank you for the gift of a hope-filled future. I want to set aside what lies behind, focus on what is to come, and press on toward your goal for my life and for the world around me. Amen.Insights from Janelle Gregory
Janelle Gregory serves on the Resurrection staff as a Human Resources Specialist.
I’m certified in my current profession of Human Resources, but my degree is actually in gerontology (aging population). When people find out about my background, they generally have a comment that starts with, “Old people are so… “ Often it finishes with words like “sweet” or “wise.” On rare occasions, you’ll hear “grumpy.” But for the most part, people seemed to have an elevated view of what it means to be in your 80’s or 90’s. It’s as if the gift of kindness and sound judgment, is something that is wrapped up in a package for your 80th birthday. “Grandma, we were going to give you that toaster that you wanted, but here’s a gentle spirit instead. We hope you like it!
But here’s the thing: old people are… people. It’s the same with young people and middle-aged people. Some are kind, some are jerks, some are fools, and so on. There is no magic switch that flips one day to make a selfish person gracious or turn an idiot into a sage. It is something for which you must consciously strive. If you know a “sweet, old lady,” she probably worked hard to get that way, mastering the ability to hold her tongue or seeing the perspective of others. If your grandfather was wise, he made the choice to learn from his mistakes rather than let them define his character.
Each day, we choose the direction of our future – no matter our current age. We have to ask ourselves what we want for our lives in the days, years, and decades to come. As those who adore and have the utmost respect for Jesus, shouldn’t we want our lives to look more like his?
And my guess is that if you ask Jesus, he wants our lives to look more like his too. He desires for us to know what it means to be more forgiving, generous, righteous, and pure. And with his help, through prayer, study, worship, and the encouragement of others, we can become more and more like him each day. Life will continue to hand us opportunities and challenges that give us a chance to choose how to respond. Some will be large while others will be small and daily. We decide how those might shape us to be more like Christ. While we may not be perfect on this earth, it would be great if our lives were molded over the years in way that tells others that when it comes to old Christians… well, they look a lot like Jesus.
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The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection
13720 Roe Avenue
I’m certified in my current profession of Human Resources, but my degree is actually in gerontology (aging population). When people find out about my background, they generally have a comment that starts with, “Old people are so… “ Often it finishes with words like “sweet” or “wise.” On rare occasions, you’ll hear “grumpy.” But for the most part, people seemed to have an elevated view of what it means to be in your 80’s or 90’s. It’s as if the gift of kindness and sound judgment, is something that is wrapped up in a package for your 80th birthday. “Grandma, we were going to give you that toaster that you wanted, but here’s a gentle spirit instead. We hope you like it!
But here’s the thing: old people are… people. It’s the same with young people and middle-aged people. Some are kind, some are jerks, some are fools, and so on. There is no magic switch that flips one day to make a selfish person gracious or turn an idiot into a sage. It is something for which you must consciously strive. If you know a “sweet, old lady,” she probably worked hard to get that way, mastering the ability to hold her tongue or seeing the perspective of others. If your grandfather was wise, he made the choice to learn from his mistakes rather than let them define his character.
Each day, we choose the direction of our future – no matter our current age. We have to ask ourselves what we want for our lives in the days, years, and decades to come. As those who adore and have the utmost respect for Jesus, shouldn’t we want our lives to look more like his?
And my guess is that if you ask Jesus, he wants our lives to look more like his too. He desires for us to know what it means to be more forgiving, generous, righteous, and pure. And with his help, through prayer, study, worship, and the encouragement of others, we can become more and more like him each day. Life will continue to hand us opportunities and challenges that give us a chance to choose how to respond. Some will be large while others will be small and daily. We decide how those might shape us to be more like Christ. While we may not be perfect on this earth, it would be great if our lives were molded over the years in way that tells others that when it comes to old Christians… well, they look a lot like Jesus.
Download the GPS App
The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection
13720 Roe Avenue
Leawood, Kansas 66224 United States
913.897.0120
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