Today's thought - 30 October 2026 (This is a game changer)

 

How are you, my friend? The weekend is finally upon us, hahahaha. I do hope you are well and that your day will be just amazing. We are in Philippians today and my verse comes from Philippians 3:13-14, “No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us”.

Paul is just an amazing example of a life lived in total surrender. You know we always have some sort of an excuse when we have to do something we do not want to do or something that is out of our comfort zone. Google says that an excuse is a reason, real or invented, given to explain a mistake, bad behaviour, a missed obligation, or an absence in order to avoid or reduce blame.

In other words, we make up a story why we can’t do it or will not be able to do it. Paul had his encounter with our Lord Jesus on his way to Damascus and with this lost his sight. The Lord told Annanias to go and see Paul and pray for him to have his sight back. Now you have to enjoy the irony in this situation. Here is Paul on his way to Damascus to kill (not arrest) the followers of Jesus. On the way He has his encounter and loses his sight. God tells Annanias to go to Paul, the very man that wanted to kill him. Can you imagine the inner turmoil and fear that we will have to face on a mission like this.

Yet Paul obediently went to where the Lord sent him and Annias obediently did as Jesus said and went to Paul. Can you imagine the confusion when either one meets one another. Here is Paul blind and converted and as Annanias prays for him, God restores his sight and he gets baptized to go the very next day to the Synagogue where he persecuted the followers of Jesus to preach the message of the gospel.

Can you imagine the whole picture on what happened here in this scenario. My friend, this is Jesus at work. It will not always make sense to me and you, but when we obey, we will see God’s ways and as we know they are above our ways.

This is such a classical example of being a follower of Jesus and who Jesus is to Paul and Annias for that matter. Paul writes here in Philippians 3 that all the knowledge and accolades and trophies and possessions mean nothing compared to knowing Jesus and that he gave all that up or rather he holds no value to it, except what he has in Jesus Christ. We know Paul was a very educated man and a very intelligent man, yet he says that this has no value for him. He says in verse 7-9, “I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith”.

This is just amazing and it is so important that we understand this and not miss the mark because of our carnal needs and our own desires, but that we would surrender all that and submit all to our Lord Jesus Christ. And as Paul says that we forget what lies behind us and press on forward towards what lies I before us. Is not what is already done, but what we can still do for His glory and for Him.

My friend, it boils down to the phrase “Die to self” and give all to the Lord and trust Him in all and with all for God is only moved by our faith and not what we do or say. We can only please God with faith. So do not be a Peter on the ocean with little faith or the apostles in the boat in the midst of a storm with no faith. Paul says in all of this he knows he can achieve it all, not by power not by might but by the power of the Holy Spirit through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Have an awesome day and please do not give up.