Press on to the Impossible Goal

by Heather Tietz

Brothers, I don’t regard myself as yet having taken hold, but one thing I do. Forgetting the things which are behind, and stretching forward to the things which are before, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 3:13-14

Perfection is Jesus. Perfect in every word, every deed, every thought, every interaction with His enemies, with friends, with the proud religious, with big sinners. Jesus had the limitless ability to love and forgive.

That’s our impossible goal, to be like Him. We have so much to live up to. We strive. We fall. We give up. We try again. Constantly. Perfection is a struggle. We won’t obtain it till Jesus has fitted us in our new bodies, in our new home.

It’s easy to keep looking back at our pile of broken attempts. It’s discouraging.

Thank goodness, God doesn’t do that! He doesn’t count our sins like we do. In fact, he intentionally forgets them “as far as the east is from the west” Psalm 103:12. He doesn’t love us because we are good. We aren’t. We try but we can never be good as God defines it. Don’t dig up memories of old sins!

You’re sorry. You’ve asked for forgiveness. Now bury the thought. Be alive! Set Jesus love, His life, as your lead. Read His words. Pray for strength. You’ll take one step closer to Jesus, one step closer to perfection.