Philippians 3:14 

I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

The word translated to ‘press’ is diōkō (G1377), and it is found 44 times in the New Testament. Out of these 44 occurrences it is translated into a form of persecution 31 times. Philippians 3:14 is a well known scripture but realizing that the Greek word here that is translated to “press” in this verse is more frequently translated to persecution or persecuted, gives a whole new picture to Philipiians 3:14.

Have you ever seen a runner get close to the finish line and they just start pushing themselves harder to make sure they have given their all? That is the inner strength of pushing your body to do what it does not want to do. This is the image I get now when reading Philippians 3:14. I could say it like this, “I am going to push my body, persecute my body to fall into line with the Word of God so that I can obtain the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”

As we run this race as Christians it is not an easy race. We live in a fallen world and our spirit is capsuled into flesh. When running this race we call life, there will be times we want to give up. There will be times we want to stop running, forfeit the race or intentionally get disqualified. But, when a professional runner has trained and practiced for the race of their lifetime… you better bet that they are going to leave it all on the track. They will push their bodies to the breaking point, sweating, cramps, muscle spasms etc. to make it to that finish line. We have to have that same dedication in running our race for Christ. 

The Merriam-Webster definition of persecute is: 

To harass or punish in a manner designed to injure, grieve, or afflict

To annoy with persistent or urgent approaches

When I say “persecute my body” I am not talking about physical harm, please don’t misconstrue what I am saying. What I mean is that we need to keep our body aka our flesh in check when running our race. It is not always easy to follow God’s commands or directions, but it is always worth it. I personally let my flesh scream louder than my spirit frequently. I need to harass my flesh, annoy it consistently, so it does what I tell it to do. My body listens to me, not the other way around. 

Don’t be afraid to be persistent, to press on, to persecute that flesh in the name of being willing and obedient to God (Isaiah 1:19). This will not be easy. Think about the runner, give it your all! Don’t hold back what you have been created to do! Finish strong! 

Confessions:

I will press on to reach the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus is calling me. 

I press on toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. 

I am pursuing the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Posted 11/01/2022