ADVANCE (Det 1: 6-8)

6 The Lord our God said to us at Horeb, “You have stayed long enough at this mountain. 7 Break camp and advance into the hill country of the Amorites; go to all the neighboring peoples in the Arabah, in the mountains, in the western foothills, in the Negev and along the coast, to the land of the Canaanites and to Lebanon, as far as the great river, the Euphrates. 8 See, I have given you this land. Go in and take possession of the land the Lord swore he would give to your fathers—to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob—and to their descendants after them.”

Increase, enlargement or progress is seldom the stuff of accidents. Every major sustained progress in life, career or ministry is a progress of design. Progress and advancement is the stuff of intentions and action.

Paul speaking to the Philippians in Philippians 3:12-14 says
“12 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. 13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, 14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

People who make unforgettable marks in destiny are people who are driven by unquenchable thirst for more. They are people who suffer no illusions of “arrival”. If you have the slightest belief that you have arrived this article may not be for you. If you believe that you are already as much as you should be and there is no need for further aspirations this article is not for you. This article is specifically for that woman or man who is passionately seeking a new level of operation in life, career and destiny.

What does it mean to “advance”? The word advance itself means: to make progress, move forward, come closer, press on, or to raise to a higher rank. Paul says in Philippians 13:12 that he “actively press(es) on”. Paul’s life depended heavily on God and he had such a close relationship and great experiences with God. Even so, he still considered his Christianity as imperfect that he felt the need to press onto God even more. This is a good attitude to follow: don’t be satisfied right now with whatever you have accomplished. Don’t grow a sense of arrival. The journey to progress is never-ending.

What are the steps to take in advancing?
One, forget what is behind (Philippians 3:13)
We may have experienced failures and regrets in many areas of our lives. But, we should not let our lives be overpowered by the past. Being held back by what happened in the past prevents us from advancing in our lives. We all have a past? We all have details in our previous lives we are not so proud of. You cannot allow those things to permanently define you. You cannot allow your past to hold you back. We should learn from past disappointments but we cannot live permanently in them. Are you reading this right now and somehow you are stuck in your errors. Perhaps you are stuck with the mistakes of the past decade. May be you had a child out of wedlock and so you have now foreclosed every possibility of a fulfilling marriage. Perhaps you lost the opportunity of schooling when your mates did; may be because of drugs or even lack of funds. Missed opportunities or errors of the past should NEVER define the rest of your life. Sit up! Get up and start again. That is the word of the Lord to you today.

Reach forward (verse 13)
A runner, especially a sprinter, pushes their chest forward especially towards the finish line because whoever touches the finish line first, he/she is declared a winner. When we advance, we need to push forward like a sprinter who pushes his/her chest forward to win the race, knowing that his/her opponent is only a split second behind them. People who do really well in life approach each day like it is their last. If you understand your assignment in this life you would make so much haste that 24hours would not be enough in each day. Far too many people approach life rather casually. They procrastinate unendingly. They believe there would always be another day. Listen dear friend, tomorrow is not promised to anyone. Reach forward each day with zeal, purpose and conviction. Work yourself tired each day and go to bed fulfilled. Don’t be a lazy bone. Don’t be that man who always has a waiting excuse to present for almost all responsibilities. Time is ticking. Life is counting. Make the most of it.

Press forward towards the goal (verse 14)
To win the heavenly prize of the calling of God in Christ Jesus, Paul pressed on toward the goal. W need to make sure that we’re chasing the right goal or focus on our purpose from God. Many times people spend all of their lives pursuing the wrong assignments. May that not be you in Jesus’ name. We are in a spiritual fight and the devil will always try to blur or re-direct our focus from God’s calling. We must be intentional in finding and living out God’s calling over our lives.

There can be many physical things that we aspire to achieve in our lives. But, don’t forget about your spiritual advancement. Don’t leave your spiritual growth and advancement to chance. Jesus knew His purpose (John 18:37) and so did Paul (1 Corinthians 9:23). What do you want to achieve for yourself in life. But more importantly, what do you want to achieve for your God?

Happy New Month and Happy Independence Celebration.

DATE: Mon, 2nd Oct. 2023 3:03am

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