Philippians 3:8-14 is a powerful passage from the apostle Paul. There is a challenge to become progressively Christlike. To know Him intimately. As Paul says, this requires a pressing in or a consistency to keep moving forward to be more like Him

In Luke 2:52 we are reminded that Jesus himself spent 18 years after the incident in the temple in Jerusalem growing in wisdom and stature. Jesus’ ministry was not an overnight phenomenon and we certainly cannot expect to be. Even when Jesus started His ministry full of the Holy Spirit He spent much time in prayer hearing and doing what He saw the Father do. He was not a maverick doing what He felt like but more concerned with being like His Father and being obedient to Him than anything.

We must become like that to mature in those things God has given us. I like the passage in Luke 8:22-25 where Jesus gets into the boat and tells His disciples “Let us go to the other side” Setting out will not always be plain sailing as that passage confirms but we have to make progress to the other side trusting Him and being consistent in our walk with Him.

We cannot expect to bunk off for a while and do our own thing then to fall back in exactly where we left off. It is like walking on stepping stones over a swollen river. You are okay as long as you keep stepping forward. However if you step off it is easy to get swept away and end up struggling to the bank just to survive. Our Lord does not want us in survival mentality but he wants us to progressively reach our potential by growing in Christlikeness day by day.

Yet this Philippians passage contains an enormous encouragement to us to press on in. The passage refers to an upward call of God on our lives. That means above the normal or the average. Other versions say the high calling of God.

There is a high call of God on your life and mine. We are not mere humans. There is a supernatural calling on you that God wants to fulfil. Paul recognised that and made a constant daily decision not to look back but to press on in. Taking that stance and being determined to press through is vital for us. The devil would love to get us looking back at all the messes we have made. Well, we all have a past but we cannot change it even if we regret some of those things. They are in the past so allow them to stay there. Make a decision now to press forward because you can change your future in Christ.

John 10:10 is the plumb-line for us. The devil came to steal, kill and destroy but Jesus came to give us more abundant life. Abundant, sustained and ever progressive life is our heritage and destiny in Christ. That is the best encouragement we could have to press on through. It requires determination and effort. We cannot expect to make progress doing what we have always done. However we have the help of the Holy Spirit and He wants to lead and guide us daily in to a deeper and stronger relationship with the Father.

The challenge therefore is will you do that? Will you take the time as Jesus did to grow in wisdom and stature? If you do abundant life and fulness will come and you will never be the same.