‘…I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.’ PHILIPPIANS 3:12 NIV
Paul didn’t measure his progress by the pace of the runner in the lane next to him. He said, in essence, ‘I’m running according to the drumbeat I hear on the inside, not the outside. I will support and encourage you, but I will never compete with you. My goal is to recognise and maximise what God has put within me. I’m not chasing you, I’m chasing me.’ When the crowd started singing, ‘Saul has killed his thousands but David has killed his tens of thousands’, Saul couldn’t handle it and he lashed out at David. There will always be somebody who has more education than you, preaches better than you, or makes more money than you. So shake it off and be yourself! The Bible says, ‘He who walks with wise men will be wise…’ (Proverbs 13:20 NKJV). Your future success is predicated on your ability and willingness to walk in the company of greatness and be inspired by it rather than frustrated by it. Saul’s competitiveness ultimately destroyed him, and it will destroy you too. Faced with his successor, David, Saul tried to kill him. Faced with his successor, Timothy, Paul did all he could to build him up. Listen to Paul, ‘Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands’ (2 Timothy 1:6 NKJV). Does Paul sound jealous? No. Do you know why? He tells us, ‘I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course…’ (2 Timothy 4:7 KJV). The only course you can run and win is the course God has given you!
Bible In A Year: Josh 1:7-8, 2 Tim 3:14-17
