June 24 2026

Wednesday June 24

"This One Thing I Do…”

Philippians 3:13-14

Welcome to Pastor's Chat. Today we come to one of the most practical passages in the book of Philippians as we look at verses 13 and 14 where Paul writes, "Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended. But one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." Now, first Paul repeats what he had just said in verse 13. "Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended." Even after decades of following Christ, Paul still had room to grow. But now he tells us the secret of spiritual progress. He goes on to say, "This one thing I do." 

In a world full of distractions, divided loyalties, and competing priorities, Paul lived with a single focus. He reminded me of what David said in Psalm 27:4, "One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after." Remember Jesus told Martha in Luke 10:42, "One thing is needful." The rich young ruler was told in Mark 10:21, "One thing you lack." We see that Paul understood that the Christian life is most effective when it is focused. He was not trying to do a hundred things. His heart was fixed on one supreme goal, and that was to know Christ, become like Christ, and fulfill God's purpose for his life.

The first thing that Paul mentions is, “forgetting those things which are behind”. This doesn't mean that Paul had a poor memory or that he was to forget everything that ever happened. In fact, he often spoke about his past. He remembered his conversion on the Damascus Road. He remembered God's grace. He remembered his former life as a persecutor of the church. The word "forgetting" means refusing to be controlled or hindered by the past. For Paul, that included past failures. Imagine the memories that Paul carried. He had stood by approving the death of Stephen. He had entered homes and dragged believers away to prison. If anyone could have been crippled by guilt and regret, it was Paul. He had to face many of the relatives of the people that he had persecuted over the years. Yet, he knew that God's grace was greater than his past.

My friend, perhaps today you have been haunted by mistakes that you've made. Maybe there are sins that you committed years ago that still trouble you. If you have, confess those sins and trust Christ. Remember the promise in 1 John 1:9: “If we confess our sins, He's faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” What a promise!!! God does not want us living in the prison of guilt. He wants us moving forward in His grace.

But Paul also had to forget past successes. That's something we often overlook. Paul could have spent the rest of his life talking about the churches he planted, the miracles he witnessed, the sermons he preached, and the souls who had been saved. Yet, he refused to live on yesterday's victories. Someone said, "Yesterday's victories can become today's limitations if we stop pursuing God's work in the present." So many believers spend too much time talking about what God did years ago rather than seeking what God wants us to do today. We should thank God for the past, learn from the past, but never live in the past.

Then Paul says, "And reaching forth to those things which are before." The picture here is beautiful. Paul uses the imagery of a runner in a race. Imagine an Olympic runner approaching the finish line. Every muscle is stretched forward. His eyes are fixed on the gold. He's not looking behind him. He's not watching the crowd. He's not distracted by the other runners. His entire body is leaning forward toward the finish line. That's the image that Paul gives us here. The Christian life is not a sprint. It's a marathon. It requires endurance, discipline, and perseverance. Notice that our focus must always be on Jesus. When we focus on our failures, we become discouraged. When we focus on our successes, we become proud. When we focus on other Christians, we become distracted. But when we focus on Jesus, we keep moving forward.

Then Paul said, "I press toward the mark." The word "press" here means to pursue with intensity. It was the same word that Paul used earlier to talk about how he pursued the persecution of the church before he was saved. The same passion that drove him to oppose Christ now drove him to pursue Christ. Paul was not drifting through the Christian life. He was pursuing Christ with all his heart. It is sad today that many believers are content with spiritual mediocrity. They're satisfied with just enough Christianity to ease their conscience. But Paul was not satisfied. He wanted everything God had for him. He wanted to know Christ more deeply. He wanted to serve Christ more faithfully. He wanted to become more like Jesus every day.

Then he tells us why: "For the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." Paul was not running for earthly applause, recognition, or rewards. His eyes were fixed on eternity. The phrase "the high calling" or "the upward call of God" refers to God's heavenly purpose for every believer. One day we'll stand before Christ. One day our race will be finished. One day we'll see our Savior face to face. Paul lived in the light of that moment every day. My friend, that's why he kept pressing on.

The Christian life today is not about where you've been. It's about where God is taking you. Perhaps your past contains failures, but God's grace is greater. Perhaps your past contains victories. Thank God for them, but keep moving forward. The race is not over. The goal is still ahead. The prize is still waiting, and Christ is still worthy of our very best.

Let's pray. Heavenly Father, thank You for the grace that forgives our past and the hope that motivates our future. Help us not to be hindered by failures or distracted by former successes. Give us a single-hearted devotion to Jesus Christ. Teach us to keep our eyes on Him and press toward the goal that You have set before us. May we finish our race faithfully and bring glory to Your name. We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen.

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