PRESS ON- THE RACE IS ALL ABOUT FINISHING

As the year 2014 draws to a close, a number of us are going back to the resolutions we made at the beginning of the year and trying to see if at all we have met our goals and targets. I know there are people who gave up on their resolutions long time ago because they kept breaking them. I have come to realize that the end of the year can be quite frustrating for most people as it tends to be a reminder of their failures and hence leaves them powerless to make any resolutions or set any targets for the New Year. Paul’s exhortation to the Philippians is a timely reminder to us when he charges them to “press on”

This encouragement is found in the third chapter of the letter to the Philippian believers. Paul says to them:

“Not that I have already obtained it or already become perfect but I press on in order that I may hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet but one thing I do, forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore as many as are perfect have this attitude, and if in anything you have a different attitude, God will reveal that also to you. However, let us keep living by that same standard to which we have attained.”

In this passage Paul gives us three guidelines to help us to press on toward the goal that is set before us. In the preceding verses Paul says he does not boast in his achievements but actually counts them as loss because he has gained something incomparably better- Christ Jesus, and least people think he has arrived the apostle quickly moves to dispel that notion and that’s where we all need to start from if we are to press on.

We need to have an honest view of our spirituality, a certain level of discontentment of where you are spiritually. The goal of our race is to attain perfection, to become like Jesus, so until one reaches that standard we are not supposed to be content with our level of growth. It is this perspective that keeps us going. An athlete who thinks he has done it all and has arrived soon stops improving. Too many Christians are content with their spirituality that they stopped growing eons ago. Part of the reason we get into such thinking is because we often compare ourselves with others. Other Christians are not our standard, the Lord Jesus is!

Secondly Paul says he forgets what lies behind. A general rule of racing is that he you do not look behind as that slows you down and can actually cause you to trip and fall. Now if there is a person who could easily let the past affect him it’s Paul. Before salvation he was a persecutor of the Church, responsible for the killing of Stephen and after conversion he planted more churches than anyone else in the New Testament. Paul could have let his failures or successes get to him and render him useless in the present but he instead says, I forget all that is behind and I press on! John Piper puts it perfectly when he says:

“Memories of successes can make you smug and self-satisfied. Memories of failure can make you hopeless and paralyzed in your pursuit of God. Never look back like that. Give humble thanks for successes; make humble confessions for failure; then turn to the future and go hard after God.”[1]

Paul says he is not content with his growth, he knows he has not reached the standard he has been called to and he also forgets what lies behind, he does not let his failures and successes affect his growth. Therefore he presses on toward his goal. He has a single passion and goal in life that is to be like Jesus. He will not let anything distract him and he will apply all his time, energy and resources to get to that finish line. He is as focused as an athlete who is willing to endure pain and sacrifice everything in order to finish the race. He is willing to discipline himself for that cause. Paul says press on!

Dear friends as the year draws to a close and you take stock of your failures and successes my encouragement to you is simple: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore as many as are perfect have this attitude, and if in anything you have a different attitude, God will reveal that also to you. However, let us keep living by that same standard to which we have attained.

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[1]               Piper, John. ©2014 Desiring God Foundation

YOLO!!!

The young people are quite innovative these days, at least in terms of coming up with abbreviations and catchy sayings. Every time I go on social media, I discover that there is a new saying trending and since I am often behind, it takes me a while to find out what these sayings or acronyms mean or stand for. Over the years there has been LOL, LMAO, SMH, LO, etc.

The one that particularly got my attention was the YOLO, which has been around for some time and yes it took me a while to find out what it means, but I saw it on every platform of social media. I was later enlightened when I was informed it actually stands for “YOU ONLY LIVE ONCE”. It made me laugh at first but then I thought it is a clever way of stating the obvious. I mean who doesn’t know that you only live once on this earth? We all know death comes to all and the moment you are born you immediately start inching closer to your death.

However, there is a lot more to this phrase than meets the eye. It represents a philosophy of life that has become so common these days with the young and old alike. It is a thinking that is now influencing people’s relationships, the things they pursue in life and their actions. YOLO is the modern day equivalent of “eat, drink be merry for tomorrow we die” I have three problems with this thinking and way of life.

The first is that it assumes there is no life after death. This was the thinking behind the Greek philosophers who coined the old phrase “eat, drink be merry for tomorrow we die”. It basically says life is now and death is the end of everything, therefore don’t waste your time, you should indulge in anything you want now! This cannot be far from the truth; the scripture are ever loud and clear when they say “it is appointed for man to die once, after that judgment” So as we live here on earth we should always bear in mind that will be held accountable by the all righteous and all-knowing God.

The second issue I have with this philosophy of life is that it promotes high levels of self-centerEdness. The focus is me, myself and I. The YOLO way of life invariably leads people to do what they want, when they want, how they want to and in whichever way they want to. As long as it feels good, do it they say. Now if we all operated on how we feel, how many scandals will we have in this world? It is no wonder the levels of immorality, abuse of all forms, indecency and drug abuse have alarmingly increased. Simply because people are doing as they please. You only live once they say.

The third and biggest issue I have with this thinking is it disregards God as the creator. It assumes we just got here on earth and have the right to come up with an agenda for our lives. It’s essence suggests that we are not accountable to anyone and can do as we please while on earth. No do not get me wrong, life has to be enjoyed. In fact those who fear the Lord are the ones who have true satisfaction in life. It is them who enjoy life to the fullest because they pursue the greatest satisfaction in life. YOLO encourages the pursuit of shallow desires that never get satisfied and lives a person empty and craving for more. It is true that we only live once and have to make the most of our lives but that life should be lived with God in mind. Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth. Walk in the ways of your heart and the sight of your eyes. But know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment. (Ecc 11:9).

LESSONS FROM THE DEATH OF THE PRESIDENT

DEATH IS INEVITABLE

The bible says it is appointed for men to die once and after that judgment (Hebrews 9:27). And though we all know death comes at some point in life and are certain about the reality of death, we are never fully prepared for it; it often leaves us shocked. So was the case with our beloved late president Michael Chilufya Sata. Many people are still in shock even though it was clear that he was quite unwell.  The truth of the matter is, whether we are ready for it or not death comes to all and can come at any time. The Lord of the seasons has appointed a time to be born and a time to die and it comes to all men; the young, the old, the rich and poor, the most important and the not so important. It is appointed for man to die once and after that judgment.

LET’S BE SENSITIVE TO THE FAMILY

There is no doubt the nation has lost its president and is mourning and every citizen is affected one way or the other, regardless of whether you supported or voted for the man or not. This is a national tragedy. Let us also remember that Mr. Sata was not just the president of Zambia, he was first and foremost a husband, a father, a grandfather, a brother and an uncle. The man had a family, people who actually had a very real and close relationship with him and they are grieving more than most of us can even claim. We should be sensitive to their needs and hurts. They are the ones who need the most comfort. It is a public funeral I know but please let us not overlook the needs of the Sata family, they need a break!

THE SPIRIT OF TOGETHERNESS IS COMMENDABLE

The togetherness of Zambians is not only morally right but very biblical. We are not just a bunch of individuals who happen to live in the same area, we are a family. We may have our differences (and they are plenty) but when there is a need, we come to together. As the Easterners will say “manzi yakapwelele nsomba zekanla pamodzi” meaning when the water dries up in the river, the fish comes together.  And this mindset needs to be commended; we have to guard against the western mindset of individualism. Our motto is right One Zambia One Nation.

PEOPLE WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER WHAT YOU LIVED FOR

Listening to people give their thoughts of the late president has been very interesting. Two things stand out by far, the first is that he was a man of action and the second is that he had a heart for the country and wanted to bring infrastructure development. And this can be traced from the time he was governor in the UNIP government all the way to the time he was president in 2014. He was a man who knew what he believed in and lived to faithfully achieve what he believed in. People will always remember us for what we believed in and ultimately lived for. When the late Levy Mwanawasa died, everyone remembered him for his integrity and fight against corruption. What will people remember me for? What will people remember you for? What are you living for?

It is appointed for man to die once and after that stand before God in judgment, for how we lived and whether we pleased him with our lives or not. He will judge us or whether we were reconciled to him and believed in the only solution to our sins- His son Jesus Christ, whom he gave to come and die for our sins that whoever believes in him will not perish but have everlasting life.

LESSONS FROM THE DEATH OF THE PRESIDENT

DEATH IS INEVITABLE

The bible says it is appointed for men to die once and after that judgment (Hebrews 9:27). And though we all know death comes at some point in life and are certain about the reality of death, we are never fully prepared for it; it often leaves us shocked. So was the case with our beloved late president Michael Chilufya Sata. Many people are still in shock even though it was clear that he was quite unwell.  The truth of the matter is, whether we are ready for it or not death comes to all and can come at any time. The Lord of the seasons has appointed a time to be born and a time to die and it comes to all men; the young, the old, the rich and poor, the most important and the not so important. It is appointed for man to die once and after that judgment.

LET’S BE SENSITIVE TO THE FAMILY

There is no doubt the nation has lost its president and is mourning and every citizen is affected one way or the other, regardless of whether you supported or voted for the man or not. This is a national tragedy. Let us also remember that Mr. Sata was not just the president of Zambia, he was first and foremost a husband, a father, a grandfather, a brother and an uncle. The man had a family, people who actually had a very real and close relationship with him and they are grieving more than most of us can even claim. We should be sensitive to their needs and hurts. They are the ones who need the most comfort. It is a public funeral I know but please let us not overlook the needs of the Sata family, they need a break!

THE SPIRIT OF TOGETHERNESS IS COMMENDABLE

The togetherness of Zambians is not only morally right but very biblical. We are not just a bunch of individuals who happen to live in the same area, we are a family. We may have our differences (and they are plenty) but when there is a need, we come to together. As the Easterners will say “manzi yakapwelele nsomba zekanla pamodzi” meaning when the water dries up in the river, the fish comes together.  And this mindset needs to be commended; we have to guard against the western mindset of individualism. Our motto is right One Zambia One Nation.

PEOPLE WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER WHAT YOU LIVED FOR

Listening to people give their thoughts of the late president has been very interesting. Two things stand out by far, the first is that he was a man of action and the second is that he had a heart for the country and wanted to bring infrastructure development. And this can be traced from the time he was governor in the UNIP government all the way to the time he was president in 2014. He was a man who knew what he believed in and lived to faithfully achieve what he believed in. People will always remember us for what we believed in and ultimately lived for. When the late Levy Mwanawasa died, everyone remembered him for his integrity and fight against corruption. What will people remember me for? What will people remember you for? What are you living for?

It is appointed for man to die once and after that stand before God in judgment, for how we lived and whether we pleased him with our lives or not. He will judge us or whether we were reconciled to him and believed in the only solution to our sins- His son Jesus Christ, whom he gave to come and die for our sins that whoever believes in him will not perish but have everlasting life.

LESSONS FROM THE DEATH OF THE PRESIDENT

DEATH IS INEVITABLE

The bible says it is appointed for men to die once and after that judgment (Hebrews 9:27). And though we all know death comes at some point in life and are certain about the reality of death, we are never fully prepared for it; it often leaves us shocked. So was the case with our beloved late president Michael Chilufya Sata. Many people are still in shock even though it was clear that he was quite unwell.  The truth of the matter is, whether we are ready for it or not death comes to all and can come at any time. The Lord of the seasons has appointed a time to be born and a time to die and it comes to all men; the young, the old, the rich and poor, the most important and the not so important. It is appointed for man to die once and after that judgment.

LET’S BE SENSITIVE TO THE FAMILY

There is no doubt the nation has lost its president and is mourning and every citizen is affected one way or the other, regardless of whether you supported or voted for the man or not. This is a national tragedy. Let us also remember that Mr. Sata was not just the president of Zambia, he was first and foremost a husband, a father, a grandfather, a brother and an uncle. The man had a family, people who actually had a very real and close relationship with him and they are grieving more than most of us can even claim. We should be sensitive to their needs and hurts. They are the ones who need the most comfort. It is a public funeral I know but please let us not overlook the needs of the Sata family, they need a break!

THE SPIRIT OF TOGETHERNESS IS COMMENDABLE

The togetherness of Zambians is not only morally right but very biblical. We are not just a bunch of individuals who happen to live in the same area, we are a family. We may have our differences (and they are plenty) but when there is a need, we come to together. As the Easterners will say “manzi yakapwelele nsomba zekanla pamodzi” meaning when the water dries up in the river, the fish comes together.  And this mindset needs to be commended; we have to guard against the western mindset of individualism. Our motto is right One Zambia One Nation.

PEOPLE WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER WHAT YOU LIVED FOR

Listening to people give their thoughts of the late president has been very interesting. Two things stand out by far, the first is that he was a man of action and the second is that he had a heart for the country and wanted to bring infrastructure development. And this can be traced from the time he was governor in the UNIP government all the way to the time he was president in 2014. He was a man who knew what he believed in and lived to faithfully achieve what he believed in. People will always remember us for what we believed in and ultimately lived for. When the late Levy Mwanawasa died, everyone remembered him for his integrity and fight against corruption. What will people remember me for? What will people remember you for? What are you living for?

It is appointed for man to die once and after that stand before God in judgment, for how we lived and whether we pleased him with our lives or not. He will judge us or whether we were reconciled to him and believed in the only solution to our sins- His son Jesus Christ, whom he gave to come and die for our sins that whoever believes in him will not perish but have everlasting life.