Table of Content:
- First Secret: Clarify Our Purpose, and Purpose in Life
- Second Secret: Make Sure Our Purpose Is Right
- Third Secret: Remember What We Must Remember and Forget What We Must Forget
- Fourth Secret: Persevere
- Guide
How will it succeed? This is the answer that every person, organization, or church desperately seeks. There are so many books on this question.
In just two verses, the Bible reveals the secret of victory in the Apostle Paul's letter to Philippians 3: 13-14.
What are these secrets?
First Secret: Clarify Our Purpose, and Purpose in Life
Our life objectives must be very clear. We must have singleness of purpose. It must be clear to us what we want to achieve. And it should, every task takes us where we want to go. Having a clear and single goal will give us the power to persevere despite many failures.
Abraham Lincoln lost eight major elections but did not give up until he was elected President of America in 1860. The Greek orator Demosthenes was a stuttering child but he did not give up until he was noon the greatest orator of all time. Thomas Edison failed 14,000 times in his experiment but he did not give up until he invented the light bulb.
Like them, Paul has a singleness of purpose. He says in verse 13,
"But one thing I do ..." The purpose of life is clear to him, to earn the reward of God's calling to him through Jesus Christ that will lead to heaven.
This is sometimes the problem with us, we do so many things that are not important to the realization of our goals. Nothing is left to the student who is good at extra-curricular activities but fails in academic subjects.
Second Secret: Make Sure Our Purpose Is Right
We must have the right purpose in life. Is what we strive for good and acceptable to the Lord? We must be good at something good. It is possible for us to be good at not being good
In Jakarta, Indonesia, I once came across a store of fake products. What I was wearing then was a t-shirt made here by us. "Hey, do you have this?" I asked the owner.
He looked closely at the t-shirt I was wearing, scratched it, and then proudly said, "Tomorrow come back. I have that." We are created in the image of God, not to counterfeit products.
We are created in the image of God so that we can praise and honor Him.
Third Secret: Remember What We Must Remember and Forget What We Must Forget
Paul says in Verse 13, "I forget the past and strive to reach the goal I want to achieve."
Many are stuck in the present and lose the future because they cannot forget the failures of the past. If Lincoln had sunk in the grief of defeat, he would not have succeeded.
If Demosthenes had sobbed in resentment because he was stuttering, he would not have succeeded. If Edison had been confined to a room because of failures, he would not have succeeded.
It is not just the memory of failure that can hold us back. Success can also paralyze us. The three American astronauts reached the pinnacle of success when they were noon "the first me to walk on the moon."
Is there anything else to ask for there? One said, stepping on the moon, "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind."
After this success, one in three fell into depression became alcoholic, lost drive in life, was always stunned, and sad. The reason: he knows nothing more than he has done.
Past success can give us fear so we will not try a new adventure. We are conditioned by the saying, "What comes up must come down."
We forget when we are held by God, even the laws of nature can be changed. We should not allow past glory or past achievements to get in our way.
Fourth Secret: Persevere
In verses 13 and 14, it says, "I press on ... I stain toward." Trying, persisting. Specific to the original Greek word used, a runner close to the finish line flexes muscles, pouring all remaining strength to cross the finish line.
That final straining may spell the difference between victory and defeat, the word is perseverance. That is, trying even painful.
The word triumph consists of try and umph. There is effort and pushing with force, perseverance, determination, and willpower.
We all know the story of the turtle and the rabbit. Imagine a turtle defeating a rabbit in a running contest. Not because the turtle ran faster than the rabbit. The reason is that the turtle overcame the rabbit with determination, perseverance, and willpower
Guide:
Think carefully about your dreams. What assures you that they are in harmony with God's will?
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