Tuesday, July 21, 2015

Obstacles Of Life

“Obstacles Of Life”
By Zach Wood
Philippians 3:12 (NIV)
“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.  Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

Over the past couple of months, one of my favorite TV shows has become “American Ninja Warrior”.  My kids have been watching this with me and we really like it!  The contestants have such determination as they enter the obstacle courses.  If you’re not familiar with the show or have only caught glimpses of it, contestants from all over compete on very difficult obstacles that really test their strength and endurance as well as mental work.

The more I keep watching this show, the more I notice how people respond to how they do on the courses and how they react when they “fail”.  There are actually more people who fall off the course than complete it.  However, it’s amazing to watch people and their passion going through and doing their best.  And, the other thing that most amazes me is their attitude when they are interviewed after falling.  Most of them always have a smile on their face and talk about how they enjoyed it and will get it next time.

It truly inspires me every time I watch this how because of the determination and attitude of the contestants.  I’m inspired how passionate they are for what they are doing.  And, it’s usually not for themselves.  Before they begin the courses, they always show a “back story” that tells how they came to be on the show and something about their friends and family and circumstances that brought them to the show.  There is just something so inspiring about each of the contestants and makes it more than just a show.

When I see their determination, I can’t help but think of Paul.  This is an amazing passage as Paul talks about pressing on and winning the prize in Christ.  He kept his eye on the path and didn’t let things discourage him from continuing to follow Christ. Paul had a lot of obstacles for sure, but He did not let that pull him down.  He trusted in Christ.  From his past, he learned hard things and learned to put his trust in God and continue through life’s obstacles. 


No matter what the past is for us, we can be assured that God is with us through all we experience.  And, our attitude as we continue through the obstacles of life will determine a lot.  Are we pressing on no matter what?

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