Philippians 3:12–14
‘Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it.’ (vv12–13a)
Assessing where we are in our discipleship, we may identify a gap between where we are and where we want to be. No worries – Paul felt the same.
A Christian hero, he knew that he was in a marathon, not a sprint, and was invited to keep going till called home by God. Only those who cross the finish line can claim to have completed the race.
Whilst competing we’re cheered on by a great cloud of witnesses, those faithful servants who preceded us (Heb. 12:1). Feeling despondent? Remember you are never alone.
Sometimes it’s simple to address these gaps. Sometimes we need advice and then to set aside time and money to train and build our skillset.
As teachers of the Word, we solely exist for this purpose, providing simple steps to deepen understanding and practical skills training, enabling disciples to become more effective in Christian service.
Our purpose is to support the Church in being equipped to fulfil God’s mission call throughout the communities we serve. Working with pastors and mission leaders, we need to work tirelessly to equip everyday disciples to serve the world Jesus loves so much (John 3:16).
We need to provide a listening ear and caring heart for people at work, school or in prison, ready to bear the load that the cares of the world create (Matt. 11:28). Jesus would love to see us be His hands and feet in the world every day.
SCRIPTURE TO CONSIDER: Acts 7:20–38; Gal. 6:1–10; 1 Tim. 4:1–10; Heb. 5:11–6:8.
A PRAYER TO MAKE: ‘Lord, ours the eyes through which You look with compassion on this world, ours Your hands and feet. Equip and send us.’
