keep your eyes on the prize

"...The upward call of Christ Jesus..." What the heck does that mean?

In Philippians 3, Paul likens the Christian faith, and life in general, to a race that we're all running. He says that the prize waiting for us at the end is the "upward call of Christ Jesus". Paul's words ring true in our society today just the same as they did in 35 A.D. Life runs at a breakneck pace with very little down time and no room for laziness.

The "upward call" that Paul is referring to, is the revelation of our life purpose. I believe that it is our job to actively seek out where and how God would have us administer His will to the world. He is not going to walk up and plop our life purpose in our lap as we sit munching popcorn and watching the evening sportscenter. We must put in the time on our knees and find out where He wants us.

The "upward call" also refers to our actual salvation and the rapture of our physical bodies to Heaven. A champion runner never lets up, never slows down until he crosses the finish line. As a follower of Christ, we don't have a paper number pinned to our shirt. We don't have some kind of uniform we can just take off when we're tired of living the right way. Christianity has no off-time. A follower of Christ is always a follower of Christ, like it or not. There is never a time when you can just decide to not be a Christian for a while. You have either submitted your life to the lordship of Jesus Christ, or you haven't. There is no test version or "no risk in-home trial" of the Christian walk. Attempting to follow this dead-end path can bring real destruction to your life. Keeping our eyes on the prize means living our days with respect for the fact that the end of this game is approaching. We only have a certain amount of time to complete the mission that God gave us. That's why "Carpe Diem" and striving to live eternally significant lives is so important. Unfortunately, many people are content to live their lives blissfully ignorant of their eternal destiny and calling.

So many of my friends went off to college and left their faith back at mom and dad's house. They went buck wild and forgot their heritage completely. Now, most would charge that they were never saved to begin with, but I will leave that argument alone for now. It breaks my heart to see so many "Christians" who have completely lost sight of the prize, the "upward call". They are wandering around, wallowing in insignificant lives, wondering why life seems so empty and void of real purpose.

The answer is a paradox; simple and yet horribly complex at the same time. Keep your eyes on the prize. Stay focused on that upward call, keep your head in the game (sorry for all the sports analogies, but it's easier than talking about knitting). Remember your reason for getting out of bed in the morning. Each person has their own reason, their own set of gifts and talents created to maximize God's glory received from their life. It's near impossible to get it right consistently, but God loves working with "impossible" things. That way He gets all the glory when everything works out alright.

If your life seems to be missing something, missing that "upward call" mentality...ask Christ to restore that mindset to your everyday life. All it takes is some good prayer time and reading life's instruction manual (B.I.B.L.E. - basic instructions before leaving Earth).

Leave the rest in Jesus Christ's capable hands. Be blessed...