Are Your Eyes On The Prize?

Yesterday was a great day of football. Two teams fought their way into the Superbowl – the championship game of the NFL. These teams have had their eyes on the prize of this championship from the very beginning of the season. In two weeks, one team will achieve that prize. What about you? Are your eyes on the prize?

Eyes On The Prize

In Philippians 3:12-14, Paul says the following:

Not that I have already reached the goal or am already fully mature, but I make every effort to take hold of it because I also have been taken hold of by Christ Jesus. Brothers, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:12-14

Simple Questions

I am sure you have probably read this before. I am sure you have probably heard several sermons on this passage before. Guess what? I am likely not going to tell you anything amazing about this passage that you have not already heard before. I am simply going to ask you a couple of questions.

Are your eyes on the prize?

Are you reaching forward toward the prize?

What is the prize to you?

Like I said, I am not going to tell you anything new about this passage. I am simply putting it in front of you and asking if you are following Paul’s example and applying it to your life.

Paul’s Eyes On The Prize

In reading about Paul in the Bible, it is clear that he lived what he preached. Everything he did was focused on his desire to do exactly what God had called him to do. He was determined (as we read earlier in the same chapter) to know Christ and to be like him in his death – obedient.

As I read about Paul, I want to do the same thing. I want to focus everything I do around knowing Jesus. I want to be obedient in every area of my life – including the business. For me, I try to have my eyes on the prize. That prize, in my mind, boils down to hearing the following words from Jesus:

‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!
Matthew 25:21

Hearing “Well done.”

Therefore, when I am trying to make decisions in the business, I try to figure out which decisions would move me closer to hearing those words. I imagine Him standing there in front of me ready to say, “Well done.” What path do I take to cause Him to smile and say those words?

I am by no means perfect at this. Much like Paul, I do not consider that I have got this whole business as ministry thing figured out. Not by a long shot. However, I do try to have my eyes on the prize. When I am successful in doing that, it seems like everything works better.

For you, the prize may look different. You may imagine a different scene. That is perfectly fine! The key here is that you recognize that God wants us to be obedient and that is where our focus should be. God wants us to focus on Him and His purposes, not our own.

Wrong Prize?

There are those in this world that are completely and totally focused on themselves. They have their eyes fixed on the prize, but the prize is all about them. These people are similar to the Israelites that God referred to below:

For they did not practice My ordinances but rejected My statutes and profaned My Sabbaths, and their eyes were fixed on their fathers’ idols.
Ezekiel 20:24

Folks, I don’t know about you, but I do not want to be in that group. I do not want to be seen by God as having my eyes on the prize of my father’s idols. I do not want Him disappointed in my focus. I only want to hear, “Well done.” from Him.

Great Advice

I encourage you to pray about this. Take some time and ask God if you have your eyes on the prize – the right prize. Ask Him to make it clear to you where this is not happening and to give you the will and strength to change where necessary. Paul gives this same advice.

If you keep reading in Philippians 3, after he describes how he has his eyes on the prize, he says this:

Therefore, all who are mature should think this way. And if you think differently about anything, God will reveal this also to you.
Philippians 3:15

I think that is great advice. Will you follow it?