Daily Devotional - Get Going

Online Bible - tangle.com: Daily Devotional, August 18th


Philippians 3:14
I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

“Get Going”

Every spring, we plant nearly 40 tomato plants. Every fall, when we find that we have more tomatoes than we can possibly eat, can, or turn into sauce or salsa, we give lots away to grateful friends and family. It makes me wonder, however, why our thankful recipients—lovers of tomatoes that they are—don’t grow even one plant of their own? It’s not appropriate to say that they’re lazy, for they work hard in other pursuits. So I think it’s simply a case of inertia. Despite hearty appetites for tomatoes, they never get around to doing anything about it.

How much of our lives are mediocre because of inertia? We would like to pray more, enjoy deeper intimacy in our marriages and friendships, take more outings with our children, read more books, find a more satisfying job, eat better, and exercise more—but we never actually do anything about it. So we continue to coast, settling for the way things are now rather than working toward what they could be.

I’m challenged by Paul, who—being far more mature in his spiritual walk—humbly declared, “I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us” (Philippians 3:13-14).

What area of your life would you like to move beyond mediocrity? If you continue to do what you’ve always done, you’re likely to get what you’ve always gotten. So make a change. Go ahead—pursue a stronger marriage or better parenting or a closer walk with God. What steps can you take in that direction? First commit your goal to God in prayer. Then write it down. Now go do it—and press on! —Mike Wittmer, Our Daily Journey

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