Pressing Toward the Mark 

Pastor Robert Miller

  Several weeks ago Pastor Jeanne and I were preparing for our trip to a minister’s conference in Texas.  We had several errands to run the Saturday before we were to leave.  I needed to pick up a 7-day fish feeder for my aquarium.  I found it but decided to go and browse at the pet store.  I enjoy looking at various pets.  On this particular day a cat adoption was taking place.  There were many cages of kittens and cats that needed homes.  I walked up and down the isle looking at the cats.  It was their markings that caught my attention.  Their markings attracted me or they didn’t.  I noticed that others were just like me! They, too, seemed to be influenced by the color and markings of a particular cat and it determined whether the cat was adopted or not. A particular seven-month-old kitten really caught my attention.  He reminded me of a cat that I once owned and was particularly fond of.  I petted him through the cage at first but then found myself holding this little kitten that needed a home. Not only were his markings attractive, but also his personality, behavior and his adoration toward me marked him as my old cat, Sherlock, reincarnated!  I adopted him!  His name is Tango.

 Now you may be thinking what does this have to do with anything?  Plenty, Paul wrote about marks in the scriptures.  In Philippians 3:14 Paul writes, “I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”  Remember the cat story?  The mark was a characteristic that promoted influence.  Like the cats there should be characteristics that mark our lives and influence others for God.  Paul said he pressed toward the mark, not the prize.  Paul exerted effort so that his life was marked by the characteristics of the high calling of God.  What marks should we pursue so that people see God in our lives and we have the ability to influence them for Him?

 We should pursue the mark of unity with the Father.  We must learn to become one with the Father like Jesus did.  (John 10:30)  Jesus plainly told us everything He did was in total unity with the will of the Father. (John 5:19)   Jesus achieved total unity because He did not seek to do His own will but rather the will of the Father who sent Him. (John 5:30)  Some say that it is impossible to achieve unity with the Father; however, the Bible says it is possible.  In John 17: 20-21 Jesus prayed, “I do not pray for these alone but for those who will believe in Me through their word that they may be one, as You, Father are in Me, and I in you; that they also may be one in Us that the world may believe You sent Me.” If it were impossible to become one with the Father, then Jesus would not have prayed this prayer because it would not have reflected the Father’s will.  We must pursue oneness with the Father because our influence in the world (what the world believes about the Father) depends on it.

 We should strive to be sensitive to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Hearing the Spirit’s guidance unifies us with the Father.  This mark also helps God’s power to flow into every area of our lives.  Our lives should be spiritually oriented, not naturally oriented.  As we become more sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s leading, God prepares us to walk in His will. 

 Becoming spiritually sensitive helps to manifest the nine-fold fruit of the Spirit. We find this catalog in Galatians 5:22-24, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance; against such there is no law. And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.” When we compare the fruit of the Spirit with the scriptural definition of love found in 1Corinthians 13:4-8, we find that the fruit of the Spirit are all character traits that describe facets of the love walk.   They give us power to manifest God’s love in the world--another mark to pursue.   There is a relationship between love and our victory over the world. Galatians 5:6 tells us that faith works by love. 1 John 5:4 reveals that our victory over the world is faith  Growth in our love walk increases our capacity for faith that yields victory.  These fruit also impact those around us.  By examining the fruit of the Spirit found in Galatians 5:22-24, we find that manifesting these marks is the indication that the flesh has been crucified. Believers manifesting the fruit of the Spirit are very easy to be around and draw others to themselves.  By manifesting love in our lives, fear is cast out and we are perfected in the love of God.

 Generosity and giving is another mark to be pursued by each of us.  Prosperity and blessing are the will of God for each of us.  The only way to reap prosperity and blessing is to become a giver and bless another’s life.  God causes increase in the lives of those who pursue this mark.  In Ephesians 4:16 we find that the purpose of our prosperity is to make a contribution to the body of Christ.  Therefore giving and generosity certainly is a mark that should characterize the believer.

 Serving in the body according to the gift God has given us should also mark our lives.  A church cannot influence the surrounding community without the service of the congregation.  Each believer should pursue where and how he or she should serve in the church. This is how God increases the church’s influence in the area.  Each believer can serve in a specific capacity and in a general capacity helping the church to fulfill its mission.

  I want to draw your attention to the fact that Paul did not pursue the prize but the mark.  We should not be doing things to get the reward but rather to walk in the fullness of God’s will.  These pursuits will certainly bring the reward but it should not be our focus.  These are but a few marks mentioned in scripture.  I would like to suggest that as you read your Bible, highlight marks that should be in your life. Allow the Holy Spirit to help you implement them into your walk.  I guarantee that as you do, you will attract the attention of others providing you with opportunities to share what the Lord has done in your life.  God Bless!
 

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