‘All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. Only let us live up to what we have already attained.’ Philippians 3:15-16 (NIV).
In previous verses Paul has been talking about running with passion into the abundant life that Christ has set for us. Reaching our full potential as we pursue the purposes that Christ wants us to discover. Depending upon His strength to accomplish this and forgetting what has past, so that we can fasten our heart on the future.
Then Paul says that all who are fully mature ought to have this same passion, and if anyone is not yet gripped by these desires, God will reveal it to them. Paul invites us together to reach this victory-prize, following one path, with one passion.
Sometimes trying to live a perfect Christian life can be so difficult that it leaves us drained and wanting to give up. Will we ever get there? But God is not calling us to be perfect in the sense that we know it. In Philippians 3:12 Paul uses the word perfect to mean not faultless, but mature or complete.
We should all aspire to maturity, pressing on in the Holy Spirit’s power, knowing that Christ will reveal and fill in any discrepancy between what we are and what we should be. It is freeing to know that His strength enables us to grow up. There is no need to lose hope – we are not called to live the Christian life on our own.
Prayer:
‘Lord thank you for calling me into the abundant life that you have planned. Thank you that I can lean on you for wisdom, strength and direction. Help me to put into practice all that I have learned. I want to continue faithfully on this journey of growing up in you.’
In Jesus’ Mighty Name,
AMEN!
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Final Thoughts:
Growing up in God involves acting on the guidance that we have already received, or as Paul says, ‘live up to what we have already attained.’ We can always make excuses that we still have so much to learn. The instruction for us is to live up to what we already know and live out what we have already learned. If we continue to put in practice each day what God has been teaching us, we will be well on the way to growing up in God.
Be Greatly Blessed!
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