Daily devotion – More to do!
Philippians 3:14
“I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”
This verse gripped me Sunday afternoon after the morning service. You know that feeling — when you haven’t quite delivered the knockout punch, when you sense you’ve fallen short, that there’s still more to give, more to do! We face an adversary in Satan who doesn’t let up — he keeps pestering, pushing, and taunting.
There are moments in my day when I do just what’s necessary — like weeding the garden, for example. But in my walk with God, there’s no room for a casual approach. It must be the best I can give, the most I can do — for my Lord has given me the opportunity to please Him and bring Him glory.
Paul speaks here of intense endeavour. The word he uses was commonly employed by the Greeks to describe a hunter eagerly pursuing his prey. A successful athlete is not formed by merely listening to lectures or watching others compete, but by getting into the race and striving to win! The same zealous drive Paul had when persecuting the Church as Saul, he later poured into serving Christ, his Lord.
So many people give incredible effort to their hobbies or interests. They prepare fastidiously. Surfers check the wind and the tides. Golfers spend hours on the greens or in the bunkers. Runners stretch, monitor their diets, go to bed early, rise with discipline — all for a crown that fades!
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if Christians put that same determination into their spiritual walk — with even greater purpose?
The believer running the race God has set before them must be available and obedient, willing to be fully used by God. The Bible says that physical exercise is good, “but godliness is profitable for all things” (1 Timothy 4:7–8).
We are running for a prize! Not our salvation — that was won for us by Christ through His death and resurrection. No, we run to reach the goal He has set for us — to become all that He has called us to be!
This week, examine your heart. Ask the Lord where He’s calling you to serve — and then go after it with all your heart, without restraint.