Digging Deeper – Press On
12 … But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me… 14 I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.
Philippians 3:12, 14 (NLT)
PRESS ON
Paul was as tough as nails. But his resolve wasn’t developed in an instant. Throughout his ministry, he faced what seemed like unyielding adversity. He summarizes some of the physical suffering he endured in his second letter to the church at Corinth:
“I have worked harder, been put in prison more often, been whipped times without number, and faced death again and again.
Five different times the Jewish leaders gave me thirty-nine lashes.
Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned.
Three times I was shipwrecked. Once I spent a whole night and a day adrift at sea.
I have traveled on many long journeys. I have faced danger from rivers and from robbers.
I have faced danger from my own people, the Jews, as well as from the Gentiles.
I have faced danger in the cities, in the deserts, and on the seas.
And I have faced danger from men who claim to be believers but are not.
I have worked hard and long, enduring many sleepless nights.
I have been hungry and thirsty and have often gone without food.
I have shivered in the cold, without enough clothing to keep me warm.”
— 2 Corinthians 11:23–27 (NLT)
Additionally, Paul faced other difficulties. He was persecuted, arrested, and imprisoned multiple times for preaching the Gospel. He was given a “thorn in the flesh,” which he describes in 2 Corinthians 12:7–10. He dealt with false teachers, opposition from idolaters, and the loneliness which resulted from the betrayal of former companions.
If you focused solely on the brutal circumstances Paul endured—particularly in his final years—you might assume he developed a bitter, callous heart. Quite the opposite.
Paul’s letters to the early churches are filled with words of encouragement, perseverance, and the call to embrace the freedom found in Christ. Though a literal prisoner for much of his ministry, he urged believers not to become prisoners of legalism (the law), but instead to live “through faith expressing itself in love” (Galatians 5:6).
If there’s a phrase Paul left for you, for me, and for all believers since his time on earth, it would be this: press on.
It’s a call to perseverance—steadfast determination to endure, no matter the circumstances—and to keep our eyes on the ultimate finish line, the “heavenly prize” he references in Philippians 3:14.
When your world seems to relentlessly oppose you, to kick you while you’re down, and to heap discouragement on you again and again—remember Paul.
Read these words and take heart from a man who had every reason to fold his tent and give up, but never did:
“For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.”
— 2 Corinthians 4:17 (NLT)
C.A. Phillips serves as Communications Pastor and Director of Men’s Groups at NorthStar Church. He is a graduate of the Henry W. Grady School of Journalism at the University of Georgia, and he loves the Dawgs and the Atlanta Braves. He has two (grown) boys and lives in Kennesaw with his wife, Amy, and their German Shepherd, Abby.
