Read: Philippians 3:11-21
I press on to make it my own. (v. 14)
Press on. Wherever you read this, take a moment to sit back and let those words do their work. This phrase pulses at the heart of Philippians. Amid yearning for the kingdom of heaven, amid stirring summons to strain forward and never look back, comes this little momentary phrase. Press on. There are times when we instead hear this phrase as carry on—“toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (v. 14).
Carry on can be a weary phrase—lonely and heartsick. It hints at hard times, unshed tears, paths that hurt the feet to walk. Perhaps that was the whisper of Paul’s heart as he suffered beatings, imprisonment, shipwreck: “Carry on.” But what Paul says here is “Press on.” Press on implies something different—a kind of active determination that reminds us of what Jesus said when he told his disciples that if anyone would follow him, they must first take up their cross (Matt. 16:24).
What about us? In the particularities of our lives, our roadsore Savior whispers the same thing: press on in the sickness that ravages your body, or the body of a loved one. Press on when you are put down, forgotten, lonely, afraid to take another step. Press on when failure at school or work threatens. Press on when the world feels like too much. Even then, press on. Press on because hope is real. Press on because “our citizenship is in heaven” (v. 20). Press on because one day Christ will turn all our hurts and heartaches into glory.
As you pray, ask for the Lord’s strength to help you press on.
Co-authored by Rev. Jon Brown and Justin Kuiper.
Jon Brown is the lead pastor of Pillar Church in Holland, Michigan. Jon loves preaching and loves walking with people through all of life’s circumstances. He loves to invite people to follow Jesus in community on mission. Jon and his beloved wife, Kristyn, are the proud parents of four daughters.
Justin Kuiper is a student from Holland, Michigan, studying English literature at Hope College. His own writing explores the many intersections of faith, storytelling, and the created order.
