“Brothers and sisters, I do not regard myself as having taken hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:13-14 NASB)
As you quickly noted, I did not simply title this meditation “Progress” or “Progression”, but I made it a plural term, progressions. Why? First, I did not use “progress” because it is easy to say that we are making progress. Progress can range on a scale from minor, minuscule, minor progress to major, magnificent progress on one’s Christian journey. Please, let me continue. If one feels satisfied and comfortable that person may have made “progress,” though it is very little. Follow my explanation. That person might get comfortable with their self-evaluation and feel they have done enough for the moment. If one does that, that person may pause momentarily, feeling good about what they have done, and consequently, possibly not persist to strive to reach his or her full potential. Being content with “progress” may actually cause one to stay at the status quo in regard to Christian development. Yes, if a pause takes place, that person, apparently satisfied with “progress,” may rest on his/her laurels, revel in their accomplishment, and be much like the person who has reached a plateau on a mountain but has not continued to climb past that milestone to the peak of the mountain at a much greater height. Have you ever heard the term “Committed to the Climb?”
You may think it is just semantics. Nevertheless, know that I did not use “progression” for pretty much the same reason as explained above. The person who simply says they have achieved progression in the area of spiritual development, faces the chance that they too will become stagnant and stay at the status quo, satisfied that they are no longer what they used to be, but are now better. Great! However, that person is likely to forget, at least it is a possibility, to forget to inject the rest of the rhetoric that we hear church folks use all the time, “But I am not yet what I should be.” One cannot leave the rest of the rhetoric out. To acknowledge that we have not yet apprehended the status of being all we can be or should be in the kingdom, I chose to use the title “Progressions.”
As Christians, we are much like a pro quarterback who goes through a series of progressions on each possession, trying to see which receiver is the most open and has the best chance for scoring by means of the perfect play. The comparison: Daily believers go through a series of progressions, striving to “score” a witness or kingdom building “touchdown” on multiple “plays.” Football quarterbacks, primarily play offence. Not so with Christians. We face many opportunities as Christians, as we must play offense and defense; promoting the gospel. Either way we are blessed with opportunities, one after the other, interaction after interaction, deed after deed, thought after thought to make progression on top of progression, continually. In other words, “Progressions.”
So let me end this diatribe by distinctly challenging you to make a number of progressions daily as you press on toward the mark of your higher calling in Christ Jesus. I have another challenge to give you too, following the discourse above. Here it is! Look through the Beatitudes, verses you have surely read before, and do a self-evaluation, to see how you are doing in making progressions in terms of the kingdom life, as described by Jesus. As a quarterback goes through his reads to find the open receiver, go through your “read” and determine the progressions you are going to focus on this day and the days of the week ahead, to be an open, constantly growing believer. I hope I made some sense this morning! Have a great Tuesday! Stay God-conscious, and Christ-centered! Be blessed!
“You’re blessed when you’re at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule. You’re blessed when you feel you’ve lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you.
You’re blessed when you’re content with just who you are – no more, no less. That’s the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can’t be bought. You’re blessed when you’ve worked up a good appetite for God. He’s food and drink in the best meal you’ll ever eat. You’re blessed when you care. At the moment of being careful, you find yourselves cared for. You’re blessed when you get your inside world – your mind and heart – put right. Then you can see God in the outside world. You’re blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That’s when you discover who you really are, and your place in God’s family. You’re blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution. The persecution drives you even deeper into God’s kingdom. Not only that – count yourselves blessed every time people put you down or throw you out or speak lies about you to discredit me. What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and they are uncomfortable.” (Matthew 5:3-11 The Message Bible)
Mark L. King