Read

Philippians 3:1-14

Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. 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.
Philippians 3:13-14

Reflect

At the timberline of Mt. Shasta in California grows the Shasta red fir. During its early years, heavy winter snow can bury and deform the young tree, bending and twisting it as it struggles to grow. Over time, as the tree grows above the deepest snow, its trunk begins reaching upward.

In the summer, you can still see evidence of those difficult early years near the base of the tree. The lower growth may be bent and misshapen, but above it the tree continues reaching toward the sky.

We are a bit the same as this tree. Our past may contain pain, mistakes and difficult beginnings, but coming to Christ changes the direction of our lives. We may still carry the marks of what we have been through, but those marks do not have to determine where we go next.

Paul understood that. He knew his past well, but he refused to live there. Instead, he wrote about “forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead.” His focus was not on what had already happened, but on continuing toward Christ.

So what does it look like to persevere in Christ?

It begins by recognizing that our perseverance does not start with our own strength. Just before these verses, Paul says he presses on because “Christ Jesus has made me his own.” Christ took hold of Paul first.

Because of that, we can begin each day by dedicating it to Him and end each day in thanksgiving to Him. It means comparing what we do, moment by moment, to the plumbline of Christ’s presence in our lives. That’s called Spirit-filled living.

Living the vision of Christ takes perseverance, but our successes do not define us and our failures do not disqualify us. What matters most is that we belong to Christ and continue pressing forward toward Him.

Like the tree that keeps reaching upward after years of being bent beneath the snow, we may carry evidence of where we have been. But because Christ has made us His own, we do not have to stay there.

We keep growing. We keep reaching. We keep pressing toward the goal.

Enjoyed this? Subscribe and get future reflections, bourbon notes, and assorted nonsense delivered straight to your inbox.

Reflection copyright © 2026 Doug DeBolt and Charles Fulton.