Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. 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. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you..

How often are we willingly distracted?

We know these things hurt our productivity – but it’s so easy to be distracted?

The bad odor of our spiritual garbage rises into the nostrils of Almighty God. We all need to get rid of some trash if we want to rise as a pleasing fragrance to God. How do we…

 This is especially important when we consider of focus for Christ.  How do we keep from being spiritually distracted and risk losing our souls?

 Paul recognized that he was still pursuing his goal of spiritual perfection.  We are to have an accurate evaluation of our current position.  Romans 12:3 – “For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.”

 We are always advancing.  We are goal oriented  We are owned – completely by Christ.  We must reject the concept of stagnation!

 Paul refused to look back. He had to leave the past back there. What did Paul have to leave in the past?

 Paul mentions four things he was doing:  Forgetting (what was in the past)  Straining (toward the future)  Pressing (toward his goal)  Winning (the awaited prize)

 Ephesians 2:1-6 –  We were all dead in our transgressions  Christ made us alive  We’ve been raised up  We’ve been seated in the heavenly realms!  How’s that for upwardly mobile?

 Romans 12:2 -- Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

 Ephesians 4:13 -- until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

 Matthew 6:33 -- But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

 Like Paul, we must set our eyes on the prize.  We must not look back.  We must press forward.  We must win.  Is distraction holding us back?