No man left behind

I don’t mean that I am exactly what God wants me to be. I have not yet reached that goal. But I continue trying to reach it and make it mine. That’s what Christ Jesus wants me to do. It is the reason he made me his. Brothers and sisters, I know that I still have a long way to go. But there is one thing I do: I forget what is in the past and try as hard as I can to reach the goal before me. I keep running hard toward the finish line to get the prize that is mine because God has called me through Christ Jesus to life up there in heaven. (Philippians 3:12-14)

All of us can truthfully say that we ae not exactly what God wants us to be - we haven't fully reached that point where we have done all we should do, developed all the character traits God wants us to develop, or completely been the person he wants us to be to reach others for him. The best we can admit to being is one that is 'continuing on' - doing what we are asked to do, learning from the instruction we receive, and allowing God to use us as he sees fit in each encounter he brings our way. Life isn't perfect - neither are we!

All God expects is that we are obedient to the knowledge he brings into our lives and that we pay attention to those around us that he purposefully places in our lives. He has placed them there so he can impact their lives through ours. It may seem a bit odd that the God of the Universe would actually choose to use us human beings to do his work on this earth, but he does. We must be faithfully obedient to do as he instructs, even when it seems a bit odd or hard. God's plans don't always make sense at the beginning, but in the course of time, we see how he is working in and through us.

We all still have a long way to go - so exercise a little patience when others don't seem to be growing as we think they should, or you find yourself just a bit 'off-kilter' from time to time. The more we press forward, the further we get from our past. We don't have to pack it up and bring it along! That 'long way' we each still have to go isn't going to welcome all that baggage! A runner cannot carry a heavy pack upon his back and God calls for us to be runners, not burden-bearers! The past is behind, the present awaits, and the future is prepared. We might just be the one called to help others 'unburden' from the weight of their past sins, but it is easier to do that when we have done so ourselves. 

Maybe we are each removing one small part of that burden that belongs in our past from each other's 'pack'. It is as we let go that another may be willing to part with a piece of their burden, as well. We need to spur one another on toward the goal, with the same philosophy of the military - no man is left behind. Just sayin!