Lean Into Your Finish

Not that I speak from need, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. – Philippians 4:11

Paul had learned the secret of contentment, but have I, have you? Really?

What do we desire to be? Do we desire authentic faith? Are we actively looking for spiritual transformation? In relationships, are we seeking to be more loving, committed, and faithful? Are we working to be more physically fit in order that we might serve God more effectively? While we may grow more content with where we are, we should never grow complacent with who we are. That is not the contentment that Paul sought. In His search to be more like the Christ He professed, that he had never “arrived.”

Paul was content with his circumstances, but still pressed on for the goal of the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. May we, like Paul, also lean into our own "finish line!"

The Christian life requires hard work. Our sanctification is a process wherein we are coworkers with God. We have the promise of God's assistance in our labor, but His divine help does not annul our responsibility to work (Phil. 2:12-13). – R.C. Sproul