Daily Walk Through the New Testament
January 3
Read Philippians 3:1-21

In our culture, “loser” is one of the worst slurs. There is even a hand signal to say that. Pro athletes say they fear having people say that they have potential. However, all Christians are people of truly great potential. We have been drafted onto God’s team and our team is destined to win (3:7-11). We aren’t losers — losers are the ones playing for the wrong team. Now that we’re on God’s team, He doesn’t want us sitting on the sidelines. He wants us to get in the game and we are to be constantly pressing on & moving forward toward the goal.
Our objective is to know Christ, become like Him, and fulfill His will for us on earth. Like Paul, we “lay hold of” the resources of Christ (3:12). That phrase in the original language means to “seize or take possession” and has the idea of tackling or forcing someone down. Jesus caught Paul and stopped him dead in his tracks. He was  saved by grace & tackled by truth. When that happens in us, God bestows on us great potential and sets us on a path of sanctification & fruitfulness, with the ultimate prize awaiting us in heaven (vs. 14, 20-21).
Let Paul’s words in (3:8-11) motivate you as you press on — everything he experienced in life seemed worthless compared to the great worth of knowing Christ. You are pursuing the most valuable goal in the world in this game. So, carry the ball. March down the field. You could go all the way!