Providence – Prosperity – Success

Providence, Prosperity, Success, Abundant Mindset,

Pressing on toward perfection (Kaizen) – Philippians 3:12-14

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I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. 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.

— Philippians 3:12-14 NLT

Not that I have already obtained all this
Paul acknowledges his own spiritual journey and growth, emphasizing humility. This phrase reflects the Christian understanding that sanctification is a lifelong process. Paul, despite his significant contributions to the early church, admits he has not yet reached spiritual perfection. This humility is a model for believers, reminding them that no one is beyond the need for growth and transformation. The “all this” refers to the resurrection and complete transformation into Christ’s likeness, as discussed earlier in Philippians 3.

or have already been made perfect
The concept of perfection here is about spiritual maturity and completeness in Christ. In the Greco-Roman world, perfection often implied a state of completeness or fulfillment of purpose. Paul contrasts this with the Christian journey, which is ongoing. Theologically, this aligns with the doctrine of sanctification, where believers are progressively conformed to the image of Christ. This phrase also counters any notion of spiritual elitism, emphasizing that even apostles are on a journey toward holiness.

but I press on
Paul uses athletic imagery, common in his writings, to describe the Christian life as a race or pursuit. The Greek word for “press on” suggests vigorous and determined effort. This reflects the cultural context of the Isthmian Games, similar to the Olympics, which were familiar to his audience. The Christian life requires perseverance and dedication, akin to an athlete striving for victory. This imagery is also found in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, where Paul speaks of running the race to win the prize.

to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me
This phrase highlights the reciprocal nature of the Christian calling. Christ’s initiative in “taking hold” of Paul refers to his conversion experience on the road to Damascus (Acts 9). It underscores the idea of divine election and purpose. Believers are called to actively pursue the purpose for which they were saved, which is to become like Christ and fulfill God’s will. This reflects the biblical theme of God’s sovereignty and human responsibility working together in the process of salvation and sanctification.

LEARNING POINTS

The Journey of Faith
Paul acknowledges that he has not yet reached perfection, highlighting the ongoing nature of the Christian journey. Believers should recognize that spiritual growth is a continuous process.

Pressing Onward
The phrase “press on” (Greek: di?k?) implies an active and determined effort. Christians are called to actively pursue their spiritual goals with perseverance and dedication.

Purpose in Christ
Paul seeks to “take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.” This underscores the importance of understanding and pursuing God’s purpose for our lives, which is rooted in our relationship with Christ.

Humility in Growth
By admitting he has not yet obtained perfection, Paul models humility. Believers should maintain a humble attitude, recognizing their need for continual growth and reliance on God’s grace.

Christ-Centered Focus
The ultimate goal of the Christian life is to become more like Christ. Our efforts and pursuits should be centered on Him, aligning our lives with His teachings and example

Greek Dive

have already been perfected,
τετελείωμαι (teteleiōmai)
Verb – Perfect Indicative Middle or Passive – 1st Person Singular
Strong’s 5048: From teleios; to complete, i.e. accomplish, or consummate.

I press on
διώκω (diōkō)
Verb – Present Indicative Active – 1st Person Singular
Strong’s 1377: To pursue, hence: I persecute. A prolonged form of a primary verb dio; to pursue; by implication, to persecute.

to take hold of
καταλάβω (katalabō)
Verb – Aorist Subjunctive Active – 1st Person Singular
Strong’s 2638: From kata and lambano; to take eagerly, i.e. Seize, possess, etc.

Related Verses

Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect

Matthew 5:48

23 I do all this for the sake of the gospel, so that I may share in its blessings. 24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way as to take the prize. 25 Everyone who competes in the games trains with strict discipline. They do it for a crown that is perishable, but we do it for a crown that is imperishable

1 Corinthians 9:23-25 BSB

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off every encumbrance and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with endurance the race set out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God

Hebrews 12:1-2

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. From now on there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but to all who crave His appearing.

2 Timothy 4:7-8

Therefore, brothers, strive to make your calling and election sure. For if you practice these things you will never stumble, and you will receive a lavish reception into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

2 Peter 1:10-11

To this end I also labor, striving with all His energy working powerfully within me.

Colossians 1:29

But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace to me was not in vain. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me

1 Corinthians 15:10


Insight
Paul says that his goal is to know Christ, to be like Christ, and to be all Christ has in mind for him. This goal absorbs all of Paul’s energy. This is a helpful example for us.


Challenge
We should not let anything take our eyes off our goal—knowing Christ. With the single-mindedness of an athlete in training, we must lay aside everything harmful and forsake anything that may distract us from being effective Christians. What is holding you back?


© 2010 by Tyndale House Publishers

My Pondering

As we read, our successful significant sanctification requires our diligent effort with our common yet unique divine purpose and more-so, it involves being empowered by God by abiding and practicing the spiritual disciplines unto perfection, by which is humanly impossible but by Christ is all possible. By striving for perfection we might obtain excellence and hear “we done my good and faithful friend” at the end of our earthly race.

Bible Study Questions and Answers

1. What is the meaning of Philippians 3:12?

2. How can we “press on” in our spiritual journey like Paul in Philippians 3:12?

3. What does “not that I have already obtained” teach about Christian humility?

4. How does Philippians 3:12 connect with Hebrews 12:1’s call to perseverance?

5. In what ways can we “take hold of that for which Christ took hold”?

6. How can Philippians 3:12 inspire us to pursue personal spiritual growth daily?

7. What does Philippians 3:12 reveal about the nature of spiritual maturity and growth?

8. How does Philippians 3:12 challenge the concept of perfection in Christian life?

9. In what ways does Philippians 3:12 encourage perseverance in faith?

10. What are the top 10 Lessons from Philippians 3?

11. Who was Gregory of Nyssa in theology and philosophy?

12. What does the Bible say about setting goals?

13. What is the upward call of God?

14. Can one achieve a state of sinless perfection?

The original Rocky

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🥊 “You know this may be my last fight. Its getting too hard to train and keep in shape. I’ve been slipping and suddenly it dawned on me . I worked like a horse getting ready for the Walcott fight. I worked almost as hard for the rematch. Since then I’ve had 3 more defences, and I’ve been doing less work and training for each one. I was counting the other day and it scares me. For this match with Moore, I’ve boxed only half the rounds I did preparing for the first one with Walcott. You know what that means? I’ve lost the hunger or something. It means that someday I’ll go into a fight in less than perfect condition and I’ll get whipped. I think I’ll quit before that happens to Rocky! I’m too proud to let Marciano lose to Rocky Marciano. Yeah, I guess sometimes you lose the hunger.”

Rocky Marciano.
49-0 Undefeated

My Pondering

You know, winners are hard on themselves. Their standards are higher than average. They work harder. They have higher standards and greater expectations than mediocre. They use all they have and make the best of what they got. Their joy isn’t in showing up, it comes from giving their best.

Jack Demsey

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Jack Dempsey: “Nobody owes anybody a living, but everybody is entitled to a chance. I was a miner and I was a cowboy but mostly I was a hobo. I fought wherever I could, in school halls, outside saloons, any place they were putting up a purse. I once walked thirty miles across the desert to a town called Goldfield in Nevada so I could fight for twenty dollars.

“I got beat a lot. I improved, but I remember the beatings I took. Once got beat so bad they had to take me out of the ring in a wheelbarrow. I was a pretty good fighter. But it was the writers who made me great.

“I took out other guys quick. That much is true. I got more one round knockouts than anybody, sixty knockouts in the first round. I beat a good Heavyweight in New Orleans once in fourteen seconds. I knocked out Fred Fulton, six-foot-four, 250 pounds, in nineteen seconds. How come? Not because I was a killer, other way round, I was always afraid that l’d be the one who was killed. Get them quick and you live to fight another day.”

Superman’s making

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“Superman was born from heartbreak—not just imagination.” 💔🦸‍♂️

In 1932, when I was just a teenager, my father was killed during a robbery at his small clothing store in Cleveland. There were no superpowers. No capes. No one came to save him. That tragedy left a mark on my soul.

Soon after, I began writing about a different kind of man—one who could stop bullets. Who could protect the innocent. A man of strength and justice who stood for what I wished the world had more of. That’s when Superman took shape in my mind.

But creating him wasn’t the hardest part.

For years, Joe Shuster and I poured our hearts into bringing Superman to life. We faced rejection after rejection. Editors laughed at the idea of “an alien in tights.” We scraped together pennies to afford stamps and envelopes to keep sending out our pitch.

When someone finally said yes, they paid us $130. That was it. We unknowingly signed away all rights to Superman. The world got a hero. We got a receipt.

As Superman soared, we struggled. Joe and I could barely pay rent. Depression crept in. Decades passed as we fought for recognition—battling for credit, for dignity, for survival.

Only in the 1970s, after public outcry and industry pressure, did DC Comics agree to provide a modest pension and begin giving us credit. But by then, Joe was nearly blind… and nearly forgotten.

Behind the hero’s cape was our quiet tragedy.

People saw Superman. Few saw the young men who created him out of pain and hope. But maybe that’s the real heart of heroism: not just flying high, but enduring the lows no one sees.

— Jerry Siegel, co-creator of Superman (adapted in tribute)

My Pondering

This is a great example of how ‘purpose’ often leads to success more than the desire for money. The money is important but it should be secondary as to what prompts people do great things. – Kirk

The Obstacle is the Way – Learning from nature

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Nature is rich with examples of animals responding to adversity in fascinating and often inspiring ways. These behaviors often carry deep metaphorical and even spiritual insights, much like the buffalo facing the storm.

🐄 Cows: Tendency to Move Away from Storms

Domesticated cows are often observed to move away from approaching storms. Ironically, by trying to outrun the storm, they can end up spending more time in it, since they move in the same direction the storm is traveling. This is frequently used as a metaphor for avoidance-based behavior—trying to escape pain or hardship but unintentionally prolonging the suffering.

🦬 Buffalo (Bison): Facing the Storm

American bison have been observed to turn and face into storms, often tightening their herd formation. By facing the storm and moving into it, they reduce the amount of time they spend in the worst of it. This behavior has inspired metaphors of courage, resilience, and embracing challenges head-on.

This image is often used in leadership, coaching, and spiritual development to say:

“Be like the buffalo—don’t run from hardship; face it, go through it, and come out stronger on the other side.”

⚠️ Scientific Note

This analogy is not universally confirmed by extensive ethological studies, so while it’s based on some real behaviors, especially among plains bison, it’s best seen as a powerful parable rather than a rigid zoological fact.

Here are some other powerful examples of animals that embody unique responses to hardship, danger, or challenge—with potential life and leadership parallels:

8 ADDITIONAL LESSONS FROM NATURE

🦅 1. Eagles Fly Into Storms

Eagles are known to use storm winds to soar higher, rather than flee from them. They lock their wings and ride the updrafts caused by turbulent air to rise above the storm clouds.

Lesson: Face adversity to rise above it. Storms don’t have to bring you down—they can lift you to new heights if you engage them with faith and strategy.

🐍 2. Snakes Shed Their Skin

Snakes regularly shed their outer skin to allow for growth or healing. The process is vulnerable, slow, and even dangerous—but essential to their development.

Lesson: Growth often requires letting go of the old, even when it’s uncomfortable or leaves us exposed. We must shed outdated habits, perspectives, or identities to become who we’re meant to be.

🐘 3. Elephants Form a Protective Circle

When facing threats—especially to their young—elephants form a circle around the vulnerable, facing outward. They tighten community bonds in times of adversity and defend each other fiercely.

Lesson: In storms of life, don’t isolate—form a circle. Protect the weak, stand shoulder to shoulder, and face challenges as a united front.

🐜 4. Fire Ants Build Living Rafts

In floods, fire ants will interlock their bodies to create a floating raft, protecting the queen and colony. They survive together by literally becoming the solution.

Lesson: Resilience often requires sacrificial cooperation. True community is when we carry each other through what would otherwise drown us.

🐟 5. Salmon Swim Upstream

Salmon return to their birthplace to spawn, swimming upstream against strong currents and overcoming obstacles like waterfalls. Their journey is exhausting and dangerous—but it’s about legacy, life, and purpose.

Lesson: Your calling may require courageous, upstream effort. Purpose often lies on the other side of resistance, not in ease.

🐝 6. Bees Regulate Hive Temperature

Bees collectively beat their wings or huddle together to maintain optimal hive temperature—even in extreme heat or cold. They instinctively adjust to protect the queen and brood.

Lesson: A thriving group adjusts collectively to protect its mission. Leaders must be attuned to the internal climate and respond wisely.

🐢 7. Turtles Retreat to Survive—but Still Move Forward

Turtles withdraw into their shells when threatened, but they can’t live there. Eventually, they must stick their necks out again to move forward.

Lesson: Retreat can be wise—but permanent withdrawal is paralysis. Courage is putting your head back out and taking another step

🌳  8. Trees in Windy Environments

Trees in harsh, windy climates often develop deeper roots and stronger trunks. Without resistance, they remain shallow and weak.

Lesson: Life’s winds don’t just threaten you—they strengthen your foundation, if you stay rooted.

Working with and for God

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1Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual, but as worldly—as infants in Christ. 2I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for solid food. In fact, you are still not ready, 3for you are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and dissension among you, are you not worldly? Are you not walking in the way of man?  4For when one of you says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not mere men?

5What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? They are servants through whom you believed, as the Lord has assigned to each his role. 

6I planted the seed and Apollos watered it, but God made it grow.  7So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. 

8He who plants and he who waters are one in purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. 

9For we are God’s fellow workers;
you are God’s field, God’s building.

1st Cor 3:1-9

This is a wonderful passage for people who are working and striving to be successful.

(1-4) Paul starts with separating what it means to be successful on a foundational level and that begins with living in God’s spiritual kingdom and not your personal fleshly one. Its not about YOU. It’s about Him, us and you (last not first). If you are innately jealous and envious of others, especially those closest to you, your friends then you are worldly, so says Paul, as inspired by the Spirit.

(5) The big word and concept for me here is the word role. Understanding our role is essential in any and every team and endeavor. Paul discusses this in another passage and equates to the different body parts all important and each unique in their role.

(6-7) This is so essential in understanding our role and ultimate power: it lies with God NOT us. We see here that we have our roles to play (Paul planting and Apollo watering) as God often prefers to work through our efforts but it ALL begins and ends with His power as He is Whom that causes things to grow, increase and thrive. God is the big deal, not any of is. It’s about the Creator not the creation.

(8) We are wise understand and align our role with intentional purpose and function which forward the Kingdom of God. We need to have unity of purpose yet grace in preferences.

Since God values hard work in which we co-labor He is thoughtful and encourages us with rewards both in the present and future for our personal contribution. We are called to work as a team. God oft sees groups yet He also recognizes individuals for He is omniscient so it’s both.

There is no ‘I’ in ‘team’ but there is in ‘win’ yet great individuals can win games but only great teams win championships. Individual efforts are part of great successes yet they must work in unison for great achievements to take place and sustain success.

(9) Together in unity with diversity do we makeup God’s team. For we are His and He is mine.

If you are believer and born-again, this is ours.