But one thing I do: forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:13-14, NIV)
Have you ever started out a round with high hopes for a good score only to find yourself making the turn with a string of bad holes behind you and the toughest ones yet to come? Did it cross your mind that the best thing to do might be to just quit right then and there and go home? That has probably never happened to you, but I have had that thought. I just wanted to get off the course and get away from all the frustration.
The year 2020 started out with lots to be grateful for. The economy was good, jobs were plentiful, we were streaking into the future with the wind at our back. Then, in the blink of an eye, it all changed with the year that none of us will ever forget. The year of COVID-19, a worldwide pandemic caused by an unseen and novel virus. Something no one had dealt with before—and this unknown danger struck fear in our hearts and doubts about our future. The struggle to contain it caused us to be fearful of others, as we were told to stay away from each other, work from home, go to school at home and isolate ourselves from older and at-risk people. Many lost their jobs and there was widespread political and racial unrest added to the mix. It has in all ways been a dismal year from a purely human perspective. Like a good round spoiled, it makes us just want to quit and go home.
Paul did not use them as an excuse to give up but rather as the motivation to carry on in the work he was called to do.As believers in Jesus, we can look at 2020 from a different perspective. For us, this life is not all there is. We are called heavenward in Christ Jesus. We know that we will always be in the line of trouble as long as we live on this earth. The difference for us is that we know that we are not alone in it. Jesus has promised to never leave or forsake us. We are not surprised by evil or afraid of it. We know that Jesus has conquered both sin and death, and because of that we know that nothing can really hurt us forever.
So, should we quit and walk off the course and live in fear about what the next blow to our life and livelihood will be? The world around us is ready to throw in the towel as we enter what appears to be an even darker time in our history. The apostle Paul, who wrote our passage for today, went through many trials and tribulations in his life given in service to Jesus. He counted them as gain; they somehow added value to his life. He did not use them as an excuse to give up but rather as the motivation to carry on in the work he was called to do. He demonstrated by example how to best deal with what each of us are facing right now.
We should count 2020 and everything it has thrown at us as gain. Why? Because the One we serve will work it all out for our best eternal good. We don’t have to understand how. We just need to trust in the good God we serve. So, forgetting what is behind us and straining toward what is ahead, we will press on to the goal to win the prize for which God has called us heavenward in Christ Jesus. The round is not over yet. We might be down, but we are not out, as long as we trust in the only One who can save us. Don’t quit. Fight on. We win in the end.
—
Linda Ballard
December 3, 2020
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The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.