“I do not consider, brethren, that I have captured and made it my own [yet]; but one thing I do [it is my one aspiration]: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead,  I press on toward the goal to win the [supreme and heavenly] prize to which God in Christ Jesus is calling us upward.” (Philippians 3: 13-14, Amplified Bible Classic Edition)

Paul admitted he hadn’t yet achieved the ideal. He had not fully claimed in thought and embodied the saving message of the Messiah. But his certainty in these verses is still loud and clear and inspiring for us all.

Paul’s intention was to keep on seeking earnestly. He humbly admitted to being a student. He recognized that human sense may not be able to instantly grasp and bear witness to divine Truth, but Paul was not letting that stop his ongoing pursuit of it.

The Christly goal was before Paul’s thought and its promise animated his words and actions. He chose to look forward and not back at what had gone before—his mistakes and his ignorance. Paul knew the prize was his for the taking. Inspiration and revelation had made clear that God’s Word of eternal Life, goodness, and Love, as demonstrated by Jesus, was the reality and available for all to know completely and to live fully.

Let’s keep that prize before us. Let’s not judge what we did before or feel daunted by what we do not understood or have not yet proven. Let’s do what Paul has done and humbly listen to God’s Word to us in each new moment. Let’s receive gratefully His constant encouragement and let the goal and its guarantee burn within us, warming and guiding us every day, with joy!

These messages are based on passages from the Bible and Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, by Mary Baker Eddy. These books are our “pastor” in Christian Science. Come back every Tuesday and Thursday for fresh inspiration. Or get a free subscription to receive an inspirational message like this one every weekday morning directly to your inbox by contacting me at lauramoliter@gmail.com.  Put “subscribe” in the subject line. A downloadable compilation of categorized messages is also available by request.