LIVING WORD DEVOTIONAL
By Pastor Mensa Otabil
Thursday 17th July 2025
PERSEVERANCE
Scripture Reading: Philippians 3:7-16
Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. *Philippians 3:12*
The Apostle Paul accomplished so much for the kingdom of God in his lifetime. He took Christianity farther than anyone could imagine. Despite a challenging beginning as a persecutor of the faith he eventually championed, he went beyond boundaries to preach Christ in distant places. He achieved all this because he had a mindset that wouldn’t quit, surrender or settle.
Paul’s confession was that he had not attained. This is the key that grants us access to progressive achievements in life. It is easy to rest and grow complacent after experiencing some measure of success. People often think that “I have arrived” when they attain their goals. But despite all of Paul’s achievements, he still said he had not attained; he had not arrived where he ought to be.
His motivation to press on came from the mark Christ had set for him. He held the picture of who Christ wanted Him to be and what He wanted him to do before his eyes. And so after each milestone in his life, he would look beyond to see what was next and press on for it. Like Paul, what God wants us to accomplish in our lives supersedes what we have already achieved. We risk truncating all He wants us to be and do when we feel we have already attained.
Paul faced many trials, but he kept going because he had the mindset that there was much more to his life than he’d seen. He went through rejection and endured many storms. In all instances, he picked himself up and just kept moving on.
To break barriers in our lives, we must adopt this mindset. You may have an enviable position of being the only one in your family or among your peers to have chalked up a particular achievement. It could be a university degree you worked hard for or a house you may have built. But being the first or only one to attain a certain height must not define what we can potentially do.
Do you know what God wants you to be? Can you see where He wants to take you? Do you have an idea of the full impact of your life? If you discover the answers to these questions, they will push you to press on and do more than you’ve already done.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, you have brought me this far by faith. Help me to press on towards the heights you have set for me. In Jesus’ name, Amen
