What If You Were 10 Percent Closer to Jesus?

“I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” — Philippians 3:14

Ok friends, I’ve got something for you. Below are some real, honest life-application-type questions for you to consider. These are just some of the things I’ve bumped up against in our verse as I’ve wrestled with what it means in my own life. I recommend answering at least some of these questions by yourself and then discussing them with a friend or two. I bolded my two favorites if you don’t have time for them all.

My Biggest Takeaway

I want to be closer to Jesus. And like our verse says, I can and should keep pressing on toward him. But here’s the best part (and you’ll see this in the context), Jesus is the one holding onto me. Though I waver, Jesus will never let me go (read last week’s post for more on this). So, while it is right and good for me to evaluate my faith journey, I can rest assured that my destination doesn’t depend on me pressing on, but on Jesus who holds me and will continue to draw me closer and closer to himself.

Reflection Questions

• Think about a goal you’ve achieved. How did you attain it? What work or persistence did it take? What barriers did you have to overcome?

• Read Philippians 3:7-14.

7But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ 9and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. 10I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.

12Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13Brothers 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, 14I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

The goal of the Christian life is Jesus. Paul says it in these ways: he wants “to gain Christ,” “to be found in him,” and “to know him.” How does a person do that (see verse 9)?

• Paul says his good works are garbage. He has no righteousness other than the righteousness he’s been given by God through faith in Jesus. How are you tempted to justify yourself by your good deeds or even use them to barter with God?

• Paul says he hasn’t reached his goal of knowing Jesus fully, but instead presses on to attain it. How can you do that too?

• What are you “pressing on toward?” Take a serious inventory of what preoccupies you: is it accolades, ease, financial stability, relationship status, or something else? What is one thing you can do to realign your priorities and press on toward the goal of knowing Jesus?

• Sometimes we falsely believe that closeness with Jesus is beyond our reach. How differently would your life look if you grew closer to Jesus by just 10%? What about 50%? What about 200%?

• Here’s one final thought. What if Jesus doesn’t want anything from you? What if instead, he just wants to be closer to you?

Natalie Abbott

Natalie Abbott is the co-founder and chief content officer of Dwell Differently. She’s the co-author of the Dwell on These Things Bible study and Dwell Differently: Overcome Negative Thinking with the Simple Practice of Memorizing God’s Truth. Natalie loves reading fiction, drinking hot tea, going on dates, and hanging out with her five growing kids. Natalie’s husband Jason is the pastor of Central Church in Jefferson City, Missouri where they currently reside.