You Mustn’t Quit

I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:14

Paul writes: ‘Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me…All of us…who are mature should take such a view of things’ (vv. 13-15). Paul was driven by his vision of reaching the world for Christ (Romans 10:1). It was his yardstick for daily living and his motivation for every effort. It made him relentless. An unknown poet wrote: ‘When things go wrong as they sometimes will, and the road you’re trudging seems all uphill. When funds are low and the debts are high, and you want to smile but you have to sigh. When things are pressing you down a bit, rest if you must, but don’t you quit! Life is strange with its twists and turns, as every one of us sometimes learns. And many a failure turns about, when he might have won if he’d stuck it out. Don’t give up, though the pace seems slow—you might succeed with another blow. Often the goal is nearer than it seems, to a faint and faltering man. Often the struggler has given up, when he might have captured the victor’s cup. And he learned too late, when the night slipped down, how close he was to the golden crown. Success is failure turned inside out—the silver tint of the clouds of doubt. You never can tell how close you are, it may be near when it seems afar. So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit—it’s when things seem worst that you mustn’t quit.’

Prayer
Heavenly Father, help me fight the good fight, finish the race, and never give up on what you have planned for me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen