Fw: the prize

----- Forwarded Message -----
From: Rob Smith <toanosmith@yahoo.com>
To: Rob Smith <rsmith@mycwa.com>
Sent: Thursday, February 2, 2017 7:31 AM
Subject: the prize

Philippians 3:

"But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, ¹⁴ I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.¹⁵ Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. ¹⁶ Only let us hold true to what we have attained."

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^18 "For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. ¹⁹ Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things."

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What is your greatest aspiration...highest goal...primary ambition...ultimate desire?  When you scrape away all distractions and step out of the routines of life what are you really going for?  When you look back at your life have you fashioned your own highest joys and satisfactions or have you been blessed by the hand of God for them?  When you consider your power to control or impact your future and your attainments versus the power of God, how do you stack up?

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Like Paul, as he writes in Philippians, it is good to consider the "one thing I do"...the one most important focus.  He is "straining forward"...I picture him carefully listening to hear "the upward call of God in Christ Jesus".  It seems like the choice boils down to "God or self", when it comes to the one thing we choose to do!

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blessings,

Rob Smith