Pressing Towards the Goal 4/4

In case you were wondering where was yesterday’s post, there wasn’t one. Thursdays are my family day/date night and even though my default mode is to keep working, I really have to make an effort to not do any work. My wife will be sure to tell you that I’m still working on detaching myself totally. lol

Anyways, this week the two biggest stories that I kept hearing about through Facebook and ESPN was Lance Armstrong’s admitting to taking performance enhancing drugs (PED’s) and the story of Manti Te'o’s imaginary girlfriend. In case you missed it, Lance Armstrong, a famous American cyclist and cancer survivor, won every single Tour de France from 1999-2005. For years, he had denied accusations that he had been taking PED’s. He lied to the American public and made them believe that what drove him forward was his dedication, hard work, and unwillingness to give up in the face of opposition. What a story!

Unfortunately, it was a lie. He in fact, did take PED’s and now his reputation and credibility are down the tubes.

I find Manti Te'o’s story equally incredible. He was the face of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team and runner up for the prestigious Heisman Trophy. His football team lost to Alabama in the nation championship game. What was amazing about this kid was his story to the media that what drove him to be a better athlete was the sudden death of his girlfriend who had leukemia.

Unfortunately, it was also a lie. His girlfriend not only didn’t die, she never existed! Now some are wondering if this was a hoax perpetrated against the Notre Dame linebacker or if he was part of the deception as well.

These are two crazy stories that leave you wondering, “What in the world was going through their heads?”

Now, I’m not going to say that these men are not at fault, but it’s pretty sad that at how everyone is bashing them for portraying an image that was misleading when people do it every day on Facebook. (I mean, let’s be real; most people don’t post pictures when they look busted and just woke up. You put the best picture to give others the impression that you’ve got your act together, right?) I’m sure that if the news media were to do an investigation on you, they’d probably find a few skeletons in your closet too.

What was lacking in these men was the last point that we need in order to reach our goals. To reach our goals, we must have a sure foundation.

If you ask the apostle Paul what was his foundation, he could give you a pretty clear answer. We find this in the 2^nd half of Philippians 3:14:

14B the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

For Paul, his desire, goals and future focus were grounded on the fact that he wanted to live to be like his Lord. As we saw earlier this week, he said that even though I’m not perfect, I strive to be the closest thing to perfect even though I know that I fall incredibly short of what I’m supposed to be. Now, for you theologians out there, he is not abandoning justification by faith; he is not denying that salvation is free. It is in fact because both our salvation and our sanctification have been perfectly and fully accomplished by Christ that we too can be saved by responding in faith without works, and sanctified by responding in faithful obedience.

The confidence that we can also have in moving forward is the same as Paul’s. It goes back to Paul’s preliminary statement in chapter 3 verse 12.

¹² Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.

As you go forward in life and your story unfolds, people will ask you, “What is the secret to your success?” Lance Armstrong said his success was “hard work.” Manti Te’o said it was “motivation from his deceased girlfriend.” Both of these foundations were built on sand made from their own hands. Paul would say that his foundation was trying to live honestly, openly and humbly like his Lord. If there ever was a time to be reminded of what a good foundation looks like, it is today.

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” Matthew 7:24-27

As people there is a danger in relying on the greatness of our story, our accomplishments or the hope of human glory. As a church, there is danger on relying on the greatness on our money, outreach methods and theology. If you hope to reach your goals using these things a foundation, you’ll be disappointed once you realize that someone has a better story, or the fact that, once we die, people will forget all about your money or your greatness. These foundations are not good ones in and of themselves. Whatever may have been your experience in the past, it’s not too late to begin to rebuild starting today towards a brighter future. Why not start today?

So as you think about your own life, I’d like to finish with the words of F.B. Meyer.

“It is a mistake to be always turning back to recover the past. The law of Christian living is not backward, but forward; not for experiences that lie behind, but for doing the will of God, which is always ahead and calling us to follow. Leave the things that are behind, and reach forward to those that are before us, for in each new height to which we attain, there are the appropriate joys that befit the new experience. Don’t fret because life’s joys are fled. There I more in front. Look up, press forward, the best is yet to be!”