“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...”
— PHILIPPIANS 3:13 (NRSV)
Our spiritual progress in
the faith relies upon how we are running our race in the present moment; how we
are placed; the direction we are directed. It isn’t any good to us to look
sideways, or to look behind in comparison. Taking our eyes off the prize—that
heavenly finish line—is fraught with danger and is a certainty for a stumble,
and the risk of an ungainly fall.
We run our race like an
Olympic runner, with memory of all the sacrifice it has taken, over a long and
winding four-year period, to get here and to be running the race. We don’t
focus on
the memory, but the memory does push us onward and ever upward. We know the
cost. We understand how much this means. The memory is the basis
of our present fortitude. All of what we have become is harnessed in the
instant, but we cannot afford to look back whilst the race is in progress.
There is too much at risk to lose for taking our eye off what is still in front
of us.
We must keep forging onward
toward the goal upon which we have been called.
The Classic Tortoise and Hare Fable
We presumably all know
this one. The hare is so overconfident he is found to be disabled ultimately by
his pride. He thinks he can take it easy. He rests on the laurels of his former
successes. He not only expects to win, in his mind he has already won, but the
point is he is not doing the work of a winner.
The tortoise, on the other
hand, knows that the best he can do is strive at the best pace he can. He
doesn’t bother looking back at the hare, because he knows his only chance is to
keep plodding on forward. His plodding approach is a testament to his faith.
And, according to a new
book I recently acquired, I found that the tortoise usually wins. Perhaps the tortoise
thinks not of a glittering career of races won, but he is focused on the race
he is in—his focus is the present.
Placing Our Memories in Context
The memories of our
training ground experiences have forged who we have become—they are
significant; but only in the context that they have brought us this far. They
can’t have any direct benefit in energising the present stride, but if for any
reason such reflection would assist we would go there in an instant.
The fact of the matter is
this: because we are fallen creatures we are susceptible to a lack of focus; as
our concentration wavers we begin to take our eye off the finishing line.
It can only do us harm to
impair our focus, but if we are focused we can grow spiritually.
***
It’s surprising how often
the tortoise wins in this game of life, where blessing is afforded the
consistent person. The spiritually diligent tend to have staying power, whereas
the ‘champion of faith’ with their impressive exploits may stumble and fall.
Consistency is better than comparison.
© 2013 S. J. Wickham.
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