Looking Ahead: Admit You Haven't Arrived

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. (Philippians 3:12)

Paul is truly realistic about where he is in life. He admits that he has not already obtained “all this.” What is Paul referring to when he says “all this?” In Phil. 3:10 we see that he wants to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death, and so, somehow, to attain the resurrection from the dead. Paul wanted to know Christ, His power, become like Him and live eternally with Him in heaven.

Paul was wise enough to know that first we need to be honest with where we are in life before we begin setting goals and aiming toward meeting those goals. Paul could have been proud of his accomplishments before he was saved and even more so as a missionary spreading the Gospel, suffering for the sake of Christ. Instead, he was straightforward about where he was in life.

Question to think about: As Paul was candid about where he was in his process of reaching his goal, how realistic are you about where you are at this point in your life as you look ahead seeking to set healthy goals?