izing the purpose Christ had in mind when He laid such firm hold upon him. The intensity of Paul’s spirit is revealed by the restatement of these very same truths in the next two verses. He reaches further into the resources of his own being and into the grace of God to pour every ounce of energy into the process of achieve ment. That which Christ had in mind in laying hold upon him becomes more definitely a goal, continually challeng ing as it beckons upward, “the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” The recognition of his own shortcoming has become a fixed atti tude of humility. Fant, “God has blessed him richly since he turned on the Damascus road to take orders from his new Lord, but he has not yet ‘arrived.’ His maturity is marked by a realization of his im maturity, as we shall see in verse 15. Thus, inspired by the margin between himself and such a goal, he concen trates his energies and throws him self into the race before him.” There is a wholesome psychology in this passage for those of us who must live under tension. Paul’s enjoyment of life and his effectiveness lay in no small part in his ability to concen trate upon the one thing in hand. Many a Christian has allowed a sense of thronging duties to distract his at tention from the one task in hand and thus to subtract from the joy the task should yield to him and also from the results it should yield to those whom he is trying to serve. Jesus said there were twelve hours in every man’s day (John 11:9), indicating that there was time enough for every man to do the task God has assigned. The Christian has no business with anything else, and will find himself out from under a great strain when he realizes it. Paul’s words about “forgetting the things which are behind” are good psychology, too. In Philippians 1:3 he said, “I thank my God upon all my remembrance of you” (ASV). It takes a healthy mind to remember that which helps and to forget that which hinders, but such a mind is our privi- 34
Bible Studies (cont. from page 34) can be surmounted by one who has glimpsed the prize and knows it to be worth all the struggle it costs, and more. Paul’s procedure in stating this new purpose which Christ has broûght to him reminds us of that which we have already noted in verses 7 and 8. The two sentences in verses 12 and 13-14 state almost exactly the same thing but verses 13-14 enlarge greatly upon LIVING THE WAY WE PRAY 1 knelt to pray when day was done, And prayed: "Oh, Lord, bless every one; Lift from each saddened heart the pain, And let the sick be well again." And when I woke another day And carelessly went on my way. All day long I did not try To wipe a tear from any eye. I did not try to share the load Of any brother on the road; I did not even go to see The sick man just next door to me. Yet once again, when day was done I prayed: "Oh, Lord, bless everyone." But as I prayed, into my ear There camé a voice that whispered clear: "Pause, hypocrite, before you pray, Whom have you tried to bless today? God's sweetest blessings always go By hands that serve Him here below." And then I hid my face and cried, "Forgive me, Lord, for l have lied; Let me but live another day. And I will live the way I pray." the statement made in verse 12: “Not that I have already obtained, or am already made perfect: but I press on, if so be that I may lay hold on that for which also I was laid hold on by Christ Jesus” (ASV). He has felt the grip of the Master’s hand upon his shoulder and has de voted the whole of his being to real
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