For Paul there was no standing still. If he wasn’t moving forward, then he knew he was going backward. If he put it in neutral, he knew that was just reverse with an N on it. To be coasting was to be in danger of crashing. Status quo’ing? High risk of soon quitting. Good enough was gonna get worse. Autopilot would inevitably lead to atrophy. That’s how Paul seemed to think about doing life as a follower of Christ.

But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. Only let us hold true to what we have attained.

(Philippians 3:13b-16 ESV)

Hold true to what we have attained . . . That’s what I’m chewing on this morning.

Living up to what we already know (CSB). Having gotten on the right track (MSG), staying in the right lane. Having made some progress (NLT), not letting it slip away. What we have attained, we need to retain.

At first, it might sound like a “hold your position” sort of posture. But in the context, isn’t Paul saying that retaining is actually accomplished by advancing? That we hold fast by straining forward? That we keep whatever ground we’ve taken by pressing on toward the goal ahead?

That’s what Paul seems to be thinkin’. And, he says, we should be thinkin’ it too.

Let those of us who are mature think this way.

Retaining by advancing is just smart thinking for those with spiritual understanding.

Makes sense that if you know you’re going to wake up every morning in enemy territory, then whatever spoils of victory you’ve accumulated to date are in danger of being taken back unless you engage afresh in the conflict.

Every morning we rise, we know the desires of the flesh in us are going to wage war against the Spirit of God in us (Gal. 5:16-17). Every day we venture out into the world we know there will be a battle for the mind. And to be sure, to walk another day down the pilgrim’s pathway is to be aware that there’s an adversary prowling around like a roaring lion “seeking someone to devour” (1Pet. 5:8).

And so, we need to forget about what lies behind, the ground we’ve gained, and strain forward to what lies ahead. To press on to the goal for the prize of the upward call. We need to remember that, in order to hold on to what we’ve attained, we need to keep advancing.

Oh, that we’d be protected from a “good enough”, or “far enough”, or “know enough”, or “done enough” attitude when it comes to seeking first the kingdom. That we wouldn’t rest on where we’ve been. Because to do so, is to end up where we thought we’d never go.

Pressing on isn’t complex. Keep engaging the living word. Keep conversing with the living God. Keep abiding in the living Savior. Keep communing with other living stones (1Pet. 2:5) — those with whom you are joined together and growing into a holy temple (Eph. 2:21). Not complex, but it requires intentional effort. “Straining forward” effort. “Pressing on” effort. God enabled effort.

No such thing as a neutral gear in the Christian life. It’s either put ‘er in drive or we’ll end up going in reverse.

We hold on to what we have, by His grace, only as we seek to advance, for His glory.

Amen?