I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:14
There hangs on the wall of my office a certificate, indicating that I have successfully met the requirements of Sun Microsystems for a Java 2 programmer. I also have a handsome lapel pin signifying the same. These items are not available for sale, I had to earn them and work hard for them. They are truly prized possessions, because a Sun certification as a Java programmer was not easy to obtain, although it has apparently become a bit easier now that Oracle has taken over from Sun. I spent many classroom hours, many long evening hours, and many pots of coffee along the way to that certification. I learned object-oriented programming principles, struggled to understand code, and grasped the rudiments of objects, methods, the AWT, and Swing classes. For weeks before the certification exam, I spent every waking hour writing practice tests, studying, and attempting to absorb all that I could of the Java programming language. I had a goal in mind, a prize to obtain, and I became the oldest person in the province of New Brunswick to obtain a Java certification. I’ll show you the certification the next time you drop in. The apostle Paul has the same intensity in mind as he anticipates the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
If the prizes of earth are so eagerly sought and highly prized, how much more must be the prize that God sets before the believer! I must leave my Java certification behind when I leave this life, but any prize that I can obtain in service to my Lord will be eternal. The prize for which Paul sought and strove is available to us today, as we live almost two thousand years later. With the rulebook, training guide, and food supply of Scripture, the energy of the Holy Spirit, and the love that the Lord Jesus has shed abroad in our hearts, we too can content for the prize.
Unlike a race, in which we compete against others and in which only one can take first place, the prize for which the Christian strives is available to all. Helping others to achieve the prize actually enhances our likelihood of achieving the prize.
There is no energy you can expend in a more worthwhile endeavour than to strive for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Nothing is more rewarding, fulfilling, or satisfying. -Jim MacIntosh