| A bright beautiful
kite is a wonderful sight to behold as it soars through the
air. It rides freely on the wind. But it is not completely
free. A kite cannot fly without tension. If you cut a kite
loose from its string, it will soon crash.
The creation is made to function with some tension. Trees
grown in an environment without wind are weak. Muscles do
not become strong unless they exercise against tension. Strength
building is based on working against resistance.
Have you considered how much tension and resistance Olympic
athletes work through to develop into winners? They become
stronger working against resistance.
Paul used the sports analogy as well. He teaches us to “press” into
the tensions, pressures and resistances of life to move forward
in Christ. This is how we are able to become like Jesus through
the strength of the Spirit.
“Not that I have already obtained this or have already
reached the goal; but I press on to make it my own, because
Christ Jesus has made me his own. Beloved, I do not consider
that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do; Forgetting
what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead,
I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly
call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:12-14).
Paul says he kept a bit of pressure on himself to keep
his grip on following Jesus’ dream for his (Paul’s)
life. He desired to be faithful to the call on his life.
Paul says to move forward in Christ he is doing two things.
First he is letting go of what is behind him. He knows the
past is merely baggage that will hold him down and slow his
progress. Letting go is not just about the bad things that
happened. We can also hold on to too much of the good that
happened or we accumulated. Or we can rest on our accomplishments
of the past thinking we have done enough.
Secondly Paul says he is reaching forward for the goal,
striving for the finish line.
“My object is to know him, and I mean by that, to
know the power of his Resurrection, and the fellowship of
his sufferings, while I continue to be made like him in his
death, if by any chance I may attain to the resurrection
of the dead” (vv. 10-11).
Paul was “Living for Jesus and Becoming like Jesus.” This
was the vision at the forefront of his each and every day.
May we capture that vision! Like the kite that soars within
tension, God says we will soar on eagle’s wings.
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