Stay On Mission – 2nd July 2018

3. Concentration.

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:12-14

For the Apostle Paul, who wrote this letter to the church at Philippi, there was nothing more important than Jesus and His mission! Because he was so committed, living for Jesus grabbed his whole concentration and everything that he did was a ‘living out’ of his commitment to Jesus. If you have been continuing to watch the world cup finals, you will have heard the phrase ‘kept his eye on the ball’ numerous times. This was how Paul continued to live out his faith and stay on mission with Jesus. He did not allow the things of this world to distract him, his concentration was on Jesus.
How else would he have been able to say these words to the church at Philippi just a few verses before the passage above:

Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel. As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. And because of my chains, most of the brothers and sisters have become confident in the Lord and dare all the more to proclaim the gospel without fear. Philippians 1:12-14

Paul was in prison because of his commitment to the mission of Jesus! Yet his response was not to bemoan his situation – on the contrary, he is pleased that his being in prison has ‘served to advance the gospel’. This is what he lives for and because of this he does not get distracted by a longing for comfort or ‘an easy life’ as he says a little later to the Philippians:

I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength. Philippians 4:12,13.

Staying on mission with Jesus is not easy! There are so many things that easily distract us. As followers of Jesus we live in a world that is filled with temptations and that offers us a life with ‘me’ at the centre. It is so easy to concentrate on these things and to always want the circumstances of life to be to our benefit and, if we are honest, to expect God somehow to always make sure that we are ‘doing fine’. He never promised that!
This week, as you consider what it means to follow Jesus, take some time to think and pray about this question:
“What are the things that are the focus of my concentration?”
As you do this you may need to spend time in prayer and renew your commitment to Jesus and His mission.