by Pastor Douglas Brauner

Never Giving Up

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.

“No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.”
Philippians 3:13-14 New Living Translation

A never-ending pandemic is symbolic of the difficulties we experience in life’s journey.

Think about it. The only difference between this pandemic and other struggles is the global nature of this virus. We hear about it everyday. We are reminded of this pandemic every time we enter a grocery store, watch television, or worship with our sisters and brothers in Christ.

Likewise, we face personal trials that never seem to end; a failing body, a failing marriage, a failing job.

It’s hard to press on when it seems that everything around us is failing. Maybe the problem is that we’ve lost focus. We don’t focus on the end as we make the journey.

We might think that it was easy for Paul to keep his eyes on the goal. He saw Jesus. He heard Jesus. There was no doubt about his commission by Jesus. How often have we wished that we had Paul’s experience of Jesus? If only I could see Jesus, hear Jesus, and be assured of Jesus’ calling.

Then we look at what Paul actually endured as a result of his calling in life.

“Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea…”
2 Corinthians 11:25 English Standard Version

Paul didn’t lose his focus. He saw the end of the journey as clearly as if he were living it at that moment.

He never gave up.

With the recent death of my mom, I’ve done a lot of thinking about pressing on. My dad, mom and sister pressed on in their relationship with Christ. They looked forward to the prize that Jesus had won for them even as they endured the never-ending struggles of life.

May you and I press on like Paul, never failing to keep our focus on the goal.

Copyright Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado