Pressing On

When I was a teen my pastor at the time would say, “Pray and press on…”  Bro. Ralph probably borrowed that idea from the Apostle Paul when he wrote, “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 Christ had laid hold of Paul and now Paul was seeking to lay hold of the purpose God had for him.

Paul might have been describing a runner as he sprints for the finish line, pressing forward to claim the victory.  If you’ve ever watched the Olympics or been to a track meet, you have witnessed a sprinter lunging with every ounce of his energy to be the first to cross the finish line.  The runner, with one last burst of energy, stretches his head forward hoping to claim the victory.  At the finish line, the photo is snapped that will soon grace the front page of a local newspaper, or perhaps for some, Sports Illustrated.  But, the finish line doesn’t tell the whole story. 

To appreciate the finish line you must see the race.  To appreciate the race, you must watch as the runner trained for the last few months.  While the runner may be rewarded at the finish line with thousands cheering and chanting his name, the real victory was won months earlier, on cold days and on hot days, sometimes at five in the morning, when no one was cheering and most didn’t even know his name.  The runner whose picture is on the cover of the magazine was willing to get up before dawn, slip into his running shoes, head for the gym, or the treadmill, or some winding back-road to run in preparation for the race that was ahead.  No one is cheering for him at five in the morning.  No photographers.  No applause. 

Pressing on means doing the right thing even when no one is watching.  Most battles are not won while in the limelight.  They are won far away from the cheers of the crowd.  Most battles are won in private. 

Imagine the number of golf balls hit by Arnold Palmer or Tiger Woods when no one was watching.  Think about the hundreds of last second shots made by Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant in their own backyard.  Can you imagine how many days Chet Atkins practiced guitar in private? I wonder how many songs Bill Gaither wrote before he had a hit?  Imagine how many hours Billy Graham spent in secret prayer.  He may have preached to millions, but his secret disciplines prepared him for public acclaim.  These and millions of others have made a difference in their world because they kept on keeping on even when no one was watching.  They pressed on…

Living a life that makes a difference demands that we press on even when we are tired, criticized, discouraged, fearful, and disappointed.  Life is made of the bitter and sweet.  Some days are diamonds…some days are stones.  Enjoy the blue skies and sunshine, but keep pressing on even when the skies are grey and the clouds are dark.   The Apostle Paul knew where he had been, but he also had a clear understanding of where he was going. The Lord enabled him and He will enable us to keep pressing on.  MM