A conclusion is the final part, the result of an act or process.
This meditation is calling us all to end this year, to finish it, draw the conclusion and leave it behind.
Philippians 3:13-15 “…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. All of us who are mature should take such a view of things.”
PAUL- the apostle Paul.
By the Jewish standards, Paul was well rounded. He learned a trade – tenet maker. Also, Paul was an educated man – he got educated by the brightest minds of his time to become a teacher, a minister and a lawyer. However, Paul understands he cannot rest on his laurels.
On the other hand, Paul had been in prison, stoned to the point of death and yet he didn’t grow bitter and did not stop marching on for Jesus Christ. History tells us he was chained to a soldier – that was considered humiliating. Paul used his situation and hardships constructively – to proclaim the gospel of Jesus. Pain revealed Paul’s character.
Paul has an advice for us all: “…Forget what is behind and strain toward what is ahead…” Phil 3:13
What was behind? It was pain and it was success. We can’t literally forget the past. God gave us a memory for a purpose. We can learn from the past so that we don’t repeat it. Some things of the past, like how God saved us from our sins, are good to be remembered because they make us praise God.
We all live in the present, though; we do not live in the past or future. At times, our minds tend to dwell on experiences that don’t bring a sense of gratitude in us and are depressing. It is easier said than done, but I want to encourage us all to stop dwelling on the hurts 2007 has brought to us. Pain can keep us captives in the past. Hear me now, I am not asking you to pretend your weren’t hurt or that what happened didn’t happen. Let’s acknowledge it and with scarred hearts, let’s move forward.
What is ahead? It is a heavenly prize. Future and hope is what makes us go on. Future holds the promise of better, brighter days, justice, fairness and a prize for those who believe in Jesus as their Savior and Lord. But again, we do not live in the future, we live in the present. Future however helps us gain a fresh and healthy perspective on life. An athlete does his best in the present when his eyes and mind are set on the finish line. Paul’s mind and eyes are fixated on the heavenly prize. Nothing can stop him from moving forward to the finish line.
Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, searched all his life to find the meaning of existence/of life. Ecclesiastes tells us that he searched for the bottom line of it all in hard work, women, in riches, in books, in parties, you name it. If each quest of Solomon would be a year, the conclusion at the end of each year would be this: “Meaningless! Meaningless! Everything is meaningless”.
By God’s grace at the end of his life, Solomon came to this conclusion:
“…here is the conclusion of the matter:
Fear God and keep his commandments,
for this is the whole duty of man.” Ecc 12:9-14 (v.13)
