⏱ 6 min read

“…though I myself have reasons for such confidence. If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless.” ~ Philippians 3:4-6

Professor. Doctor. Chief. Boss. These are titles we proudly wear like badges of honor. They give us a sense of importance, of recognition, of having “arrived.” You’ve probably heard someone, chest out and voice raised, demand: “Do you know who I am?”

It’s almost instinctive—this human craving for validation, for applause. We delight in the spotlight.

• We flaunt our shiny cars, post pictures of our elegant homes, flash our sparkling watches, and tag our designer clothes—all carefully curated for the world to admire.
• Our social media feeds become highlight reels of success, filters of perfection, and proof of how far we’ve come.

But pause for a moment. What if all of it vanished?

• What if your titles were revoked, your possessions taken, your achievements forgotten? What if no one knew your name or clapped for your accomplishments?
• Who would you be then? Would there still be a sense of worth, of confidence, of identity?
• Strip away the layers—the titles, the applause, the trophies, the wealth—and what remains?

"... though I myself have reasons for such confidence. If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless. But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ." ~ Philippians 3:4-7

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Paul in Philippians 3:4-7 enumerated several reasons to put his confidence in the flesh. His credentials were tight! Yet amazingly, Paul decided to consider them all as nothing! Imagine that! He willingly put all that aside.

His desire was to know Christ. “I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death” (Philippians 4:10).

What is your desire? To know a chief? To know a politician? To know a certain big man? Let your desire be like that of Paul’s: to know Christ.

• In seeking to know Christ, Paul openly admitted that he hadn’t yet arrived—he hadn’t fully attained the goal of perfect knowledge or perfect likeness to Christ.
• Yet, he didn’t let that stop him. Instead, he said, “I press on.”

“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, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” ~ Phil. 3:13-14

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Those two words—press on—carry so much weight. They echo through the centuries as a call to every believer.

• Paul’s honesty reminds us that the Christian journey isn’t about instant perfection; it’s about persistent pursuit.
• It’s about choosing to keep going, even when you stumble, even when the road gets rough, even when your strength feels drained.

“Press on” is not just advice—it’s a lifeline. Because, trust me, you’ll need that reminder again and again in your walk with God. There will be moments when your prayers feel unanswered, when your faith feels weak, when doubt creeps in.

There will be seasons when you’ll wonder if it’s worth it. And in those moments, let Paul’s words whisper courage to your heart: Press on.

• Press on when you don’t feel like praying.
• Press on when obedience feels costly.
• Press on when the vision seems far away.

For in pressing on, we draw closer to Christ—and that, after all, is the ultimate prize. Pressing connotes effort:

“Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience.” ~ Hebrews 4:11

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Pressing connotes discipline. Paul said,

“But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.” ~ 1 Cor. 9:27.

Pressing leads to a prize, as Paul mentioned in Phil. 3:14. Human prizes at the end of some endeavours can be very impressive. How much more if God Himself is giving us a prize. Think of how magnificent that will be! So, press on my brother! Press on my sister!

Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do” ~ Philippians 3:17.

Paul calls us to follow his example. It takes a lot of boldness for someone to say, “Follow my example,” because that example had better be good!

In this social media world, if any preacher were to dare say as Paul said, “Follow my example”, you can imagine how the world would scrutinize and “dissect” him, just to show people that he is very unworthy of being followed!

Dear Christian, the question to you is: Can you live such that others can follow your example? And in that, we draw men to become citizens of God’s heavenly kingdom.

“But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ…” ~ Philippians 3:20

• Paul ends on a sweet note – that our citizenship is in heaven. Hallelujah!
• Our citizenship is not in USA, or UK or Canada, or Ghana, but in heaven – the best place to ever be!
• And because our citizenship is in heaven, we will not set our minds on earthly things but on heavenly things.

Let’s cast aside every sense of pride in the flesh, and live promoting Christ and pointing others to Him. That is our call. Will you respond? ~ Lady Minister Akua Amprofi

Hey, you're blessed and highly favoured and dearly loved!
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