June 22 2026

Monday June 22

"Not There Yet" – Embracing Holy Dissatisfaction

Philippians 3:12a

Today we begin a new section in Philippians chapter 3. In the previous verses, Paul has been sharing the great passion of his heart when he said, "That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings." Now, as we come to Philippians 3:12, Paul begins to describe his pursuit of Christ. He writes: "Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect..." Paul gives us one of the most important secrets of spiritual growth, and it is surprisingly simple. The secret is this: never become satisfied with where you are spiritually.

Now think about who is making this statement. This is not a new convert. This is not a believer who has only been walking with Christ for a few months. This is the Apostle Paul. By the time he writes Philippians, Paul has walked with Christ for nearly thirty years. And yet, Paul says: "Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect." The word "perfect" here does not mean sinless perfection. It means complete, finished, mature, or having fully arrived at the goal.

Paul is saying, "I have not crossed the finish line yet. God's work in my life is not complete." What humility! The very man we would probably consider one of the greatest Christians who ever lived looked at himself and said, "I still have room to grow." One of the surest marks of spiritual maturity is realizing how much more maturity is needed. The closer we get to Jesus, the more clearly we see areas in our lives that need His transforming grace. Have you ever noticed that when you first clean a window, it looks pretty good? But when the sunlight shines through it, suddenly you notice streaks and smudges you never saw before. 

1 John 1:7 says: “But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.”  The closer we walk with Christ, the brighter His light shines on our hearts. We begin to see attitudes, motives, habits, and weaknesses that need to change. That does not discourage a growing Christian. Instead, it motivates him. Paul had what we might call a holy dissatisfaction. He was satisfied with Christ, but he was not satisfied with his own spiritual progress. There is a tremendous difference between those two things. Paul had found complete satisfaction in Jesus Christ, but he still longed to know Him more deeply, love Him more fully, and serve Him more faithfully.

Sadly, one of the greatest dangers in the Christian life is spiritual complacency. The church at Laodicea is a perfect example. In Revelation 3:17 they said: "I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing." But Jesus saw them differently. He said they were: "Wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked."  They thought they had arrived when in reality they were far from where they needed to be. That danger still exists today.

Sometimes we compare ourselves with other Christians instead of comparing ourselves with Christ. We look around and think, "Well, I attend church. I read my Bible occasionally. I pray more than some people do. I'm doing pretty well." But that is the wrong comparison. Paul never compared himself to other believers. He compared himself to Jesus Christ. And when you compare yourself to Jesus, there is always room to grow. Peter expressed this same truth in 2 Peter 3:18: "But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." Notice that growth is expected. Growth is normal. Growth is God's plan for every believer. God never intended us to stop growing spiritually. A healthy tree keeps growing. A healthy child keeps growing. A healthy Christian keeps growing. On the other hand, when growth stops, something is wrong.

Psalm 42:1-2 gives us a beautiful picture of holy dissatisfaction: "As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God." The psalmist was not content with yesterday's fellowship. He longed for more of God today. That was Paul's attitude. That should be our attitude as well. A satisfied Christian is often a stagnant Christian. The Christian race is not over until we see Jesus face to face. There are still lessons to learn, victories to win, prayers to pray, people to reach, and ways to become more like Christ. So let us embrace what Paul embraced—a holy dissatisfaction that keeps us pursuing Christ every day of our lives.

Let's pray. Father, thank You for saving us and making us Your children through faith in Jesus Christ. Forgive us for the times when we become complacent and satisfied with our spiritual condition. Give us the heart of the Apostle Paul. Help us to be satisfied in Christ but never satisfied with our spiritual growth. Create within us a hunger for Your Word, a thirst for Your presence, and a desire to become more like Jesus every day. Keep us pressing forward until the day we see Him face to face. We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen.

God bless and may you have a wonderful, wonderful day!