To Succeed Don’t Believe that you have Attained It

Philippians 3:13-14
(13) Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, (14) I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

The late Steve Jobs while addressing Stanford University graduates in 2005, ended his speech with the following quote, “Stay hungry stay foolish.” Steve Jobs, a very successful entrepreneur whose business is the first one in history to hit the three trillion US dollars is a person to learn from. His secret of success is a secret all of us would be wise to learn from. Instead of reading books on how to be rich, written by poor people.

Stay hungry stay foolish is a mantra that teaches us to never settle down. Stay hungry means keep interested and searching. Stay foolish means be constantly willing to learn. An attitude that refuses to settle or arrive. An attitude that gets to the highest peak and searches for yet another peak to surmount.

Anthony Joshua a British professional boxer and world champion once told the journalists who were interviewing him that the secret to his success is “Stay hungry stay humble.” What is consistent is that a true winner of great things cannot settle down. We should avoid the attitude of having arrived. We should keep on keeping on!

The first president of the FRELIMO party in Mozambique, Dr. Eduardo Mondlane coined the following words in Portuguese language used by their colonizers, “Aluta Continua.” These words mean that the struggle continues. FRELIMO went ahead to be the ruling and dominant party in Mozambique to this day. The slogan that drives winners is one that reminds them not to rest or settle down. The struggle must continue, “Aluta continua.”

Apostle Paul while giving his own testimony of God’s power in his life made a similar statement that great winners and giants have made. Paul had just explained in this chapter how great his past was and what he abandoned in order to belong to Jesus. This testimony makes this man great. Reading about his past achievements and his sacrifices for Jesus, this man seems to have arrived where all of us would want to be spiritually. But in our text today, Paul tells us that, he does not consider himself to have arrived. Paul tells us that he is still struggling. To succeed don’t believe that you have attained it!

Paul who had started so many churches in Asia Minor (present-day Turkey), could easily settle down and watch the fruits of his labor, but he didn’t. Instead, Paul appeals his case to Caesar when he didn’t have to because he was seeking an opportunity to preach to Romans and to Caesar’s household. Paul refused to settle down. Paul remained hungry for more souls. Though he had attained much, he refused to have the attitude of a person who has attained. To succeed don’t believe that you have attained it!

Paul tells us that in order to achieve his goal, (1) he refuses to settle down on one victory yet there is still much more, (2) he forgets past victories, (3) he presses forward, he remains focused on the goal God gave him. He refuses to be distracted. all of us can make use of this advice. Refuse to settle, stay hungry, keep the struggle alive. Do not be a captive of your past achievements, celebrate and keep moving. Finally, the struggle must continue with the focus on the goal. To succeed don’t believe that you have attained it!

Do not settle down in school, keep struggling for better marks, better grades, and higher achievements. Do not settle down at work, aim higher and better. Do not settle down in marriage, keep courting your partner, showing your best side, seek to win your partner daily. Settling down and believing to have arrived is the key reason why marriage ruins relationships that were initially good. To succeed don’t believe that you have attained it!

Dear God, save us from thinking that we have arrived. Keep us focused and push forward in all that we do. Lead us from victory to victory, in Jesus’ name, Amen!

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