Let's go forward (Philippians 3:12-14)
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We are now at the end of a hot summer. I think this week will probably be the last week for summer vacation as well. Many of you have already been on vacation, and some of you may want to go on vacation.
However, the vacation is not to go back to the past, but to take a vacation to move my life forward with strength through rest. However, there are times when a vacation really becomes a vacation of life, and there are times when it turns into a vacation of faith. A lot of people are on vacation.
Adolescents and young people often have summers they don't want to remember.
Your life is not like a vacation. Faith is not like a vacation. The feeling of being on vacation is going to get you out of your mind. And you have to go back to your daily life and work hard.
And above all, it is better not to think anymore about the irreversible and irreversible thing. There are many things in the past that make us feel more affectionate, but we can never get them back. Therefore, wise people have no regrets about things that cannot be undone. Go forward. However, the more foolish people are, the more they live in the memories and the more they live in the past. We should not try to hold onto things that have already left us. Believers are people who look forward, not people who live by looking back.
What are the characteristics of a believer who moves forward?
The first is to honestly admit that your present condition is imperfect.
The Apostle Paul said in today's text, "I am not saying that I have already obtained it, nor that I have finished it" (verse 12). It is a humble confession that a life that has not already been attained and has nothing to be fully accomplished. The greatest people in the world are those who candidly admit that their present condition is imperfect. The Apostle Paul called himself the chief among sinners and said that he was born of unpaid wages. People like to hide their handicap. They want to hide their inferiority complex, their shame and shame. However, the Apostle Paul confesses it truthfully, even though he wants to hide it and is ashamed. Arrogant people never admit their lack. They try not to admit their mistakes.
We have not yet achieved it, and we are not already perfected. We must humbly admit this. That way you can move forward.
The second is to forget what is behind.
You may have done well in the past. No matter how miserable and unsuccessful a person may be, there will always be achievements and achievements. Also, no matter how successful I may be, I am sure there will be mistakes in the past, such as failures and mistakes. So, the past can make me conceited, and it can also make me a lousy defeatist.
As the ship tries to move forward, the anchor must be lifted from the deep and heavy anchor in the harbor. And you have to untie the rope that was attached to the pier. You can't just let the anchors and ropes tied up and let the boat move forward. If you do that, you will get smashed somewhere. I've been driving for over 20 years, but sometimes I still try to start without disengaging the side brakes. That's why I sometimes hear the pinzan from the person sitting next to me.
If you can't forget what's behind you and you're tied to it, that's the anchor and it's the locked sidebrake, preventing you from running forward. Therefore, anything that hinders and hinders moving forward should be put off and forgotten. must be released.
Don't look back, let's move forward. He said that no one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God. And when Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed, God sent an angel to take Lot and his family to the land of Zoar. But Lot's wife looked back and became a pillar of salt.
Third, you must have a goal.
A racer of faith running forward must have a target. And the target must not move. When the target moves, the life running toward it also moves. The sign should not change all the time. The signage must be fixed. You must not lose the mark. Our goal is only one, Christ Jesus.
The historian Toynbee compared people's attitudes toward history to the three types of people on a boat.
The first person has no interest in where the boat is going. They only focus on eating and drinking on the boat. He is a person who hurts and is satisfied when he has a lot of food, and frowns and becomes unhappy when he has nothing to eat.
The second person is not interested in where the boat is going, but is eager to see the scenery around him. This person is a person who likes when the weather is sunny and the scenery unfolds, but hates life rather than death when the weather is bad and the boat shakes. However, they still have no interest in the destination of the ship.
The third person thinks about the direction the ship is going and thinks about the final destination. Someone who knows what to do to get down that road. So, day by day, he row hard as he is entrusted to him.
In ancient Greece, there were punishments that were given to prisoners equivalent to the extreme punishment. It consisted of placing two buckets of water and alternating water. For human beings, the suffering of continuing to work futile and hopeless is incomparable to anything. Therefore, it is very important for humans to find the purpose and meaning of ?쐄or what??and ?쐔oward what??in their daily life.
Whatever you do, you must first set a goal. A life without a goal is a tragedy.
Why should we set goals? If a person does not have a goal in life, he becomes corrupt and degenerate. In the book of Proverbs, it is said, ?쏛 people without a dream walks in vain.??
Fourth, look at the prize and proceed.
A very wealthy young woman was approaching the age of marriage, and three suitors appeared and quarreled with each other, saying "I love you" and "I love you", so they couldn't make a decision. At this time, the virgin told them that she would run a race and marry the one who seized her. The maiden filled her pockets with money before the race.
They all started running, and a young man almost followed the girl. So she grabbed a bunch of money and dropped it on his way. Then, when the young man saw the money, he forgot to pursue the maiden and began to pick it up. Meanwhile, the maiden ran away. As the second young man followed her close, he dropped the money as well. This young man, too, lost his virginity to collect money.
As they continued to run, a third young man caught up with the girl more and more closely. At this point, the girl finally threw out all the money that was left in her pocket. However, the young man did not give up the virgin for money and continued to run. He ran for the prize he wanted the most above all else.
There are many racers. However, there are not many award-winning racers. Therefore, you must be zealous to become a better runner. You have to work hard and work hard. This zeal is what the prize looks like. You have to look at the prize in front of you. You need to be praised for doing well, and you have to build virtue. At that time, I believe that we will run the race of faith to the end and receive the reward prepared for us.
Active and positive believers moving forward forget what is behind them. And set a target and move towards the set target. And run away looking at the prize. These saints will surely receive the crown that God has prepared for them.