by Anna Haiar
When the Prize is Far Away
“I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 3:14, English Standard Version
This past Saturday, our middle son scored his first goal during a competitive soccer game. You might think this isn’t a big deal, but to us (and him), it was. You see, we’ve waited five years for this day. Since he started playing competitive soccer in second grade, our son has typically played goalie or defender – not positions that are usually known for scoring goals. Last year, he moved up to midfield, but still alternated between that position and defender, going wherever the team needed him. But yesterday, his time finally came, and he saw his hard work pay off. What a proud moment for our family!
Watching him run toward that net after years of quiet, faithful work in positions that rarely get the glory reminded me how much of the Christian life looks the same. We train. We show up. We serve where we are needed. We wait. And we wait some more. The scoreboard of this life does not always reflect the hours spent in prayer, obedience, and unseen faithfulness. Some seasons feel like we are stuck in the backfield while others seem to score again and again.
Yet God is not in a hurry, and His timing is never late. The goal our son finally scored was sweet because of the wait. How much sweeter will it be when we at last receive the prize we have been pressing toward all along?
Paul understood this. He wrote, “I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14, ESV). Our citizenship is already in heaven, and from there we await a Savior. The prizes the world offers fade away, but the crown God has prepared does not.
So we keep running our race. We keep taking the positions He assigns, even when they feel hidden. We wait on the Lord, knowing that those who wait for Him shall renew their strength. One day the whistle will blow, the wait will end, and we will see that every faithful step was worth it. Until then, we press on—eyes on the prize and hearts full of hope.
