Keep moving forward

We can easily get stuck on a treadmill of activity but it’s time to stop repeating the same things, explains Dave Newton

Does anyone remember the Sony Walkman? For those under 35 it was a portable device about the size of a small but rather thick book, that allowed you to walk around listening to music which was stored on a tape. I remember having one myself in the late 90s, it was the new compact disc version; the only problem was it used to get stuck on repeat playing part of a song over and over again. That said, it was nothing a sharp bash on the top couldn’t fix!

It was American politician Stacey Abrams who said: “Keep moving forward because going back is not an option and standing still is not enough.” The Apostle Paul exhorts the church in Philippi to “press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus”.

The idea of pressing on and moving forward may be commonplace in theory but in practice it can become a little more difficult.

Famed scientist Isaac Newton stated in his first law that an object will not change its motion unless a force acts on it. The reality for many people in organisations and ministry settings, and in life in general, is that we can easily get stuck, fixed in place or at least on a treadmill of activity, repeating the same things over and over again. Of course, it was Einstein who is reckoned to have said that “the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results”.

How do we ensure that in our Christian life we don’t get stuck on repeat? What can we do to PRESS ON or KEEP MOVING?

Don’t treat comfort as a companion

It is easy to fall into the trap of thinking that the goal of life is personal comfort and satisfaction. We strive and often manoeuvre to make our lives as comfortable as possible, with the goal to settle, to be at home, and ultimately ensure our own personal comfort and security. This can even lead to us avoiding the people, issues or situations that might require our focus or attention as it might upset the status quo.

No one is suggesting that we go through life antagonistically or actively pursuing confrontation, but equally we must remember that we are simply strangers and aliens in this world. Our citizenship is as people of the kingdom of God, therefore we are simply camping here on earth – and anyone camping knows it is never the most comfortable!

Try something that scares you

It is easy as we get older and wiser to live life on repeat doing the same things over and over, hopefully learning and improving as we go. The danger, however, in getting settled and competent at things in our own strength and ability is that we take our eyes off Jesus, we fail to live in a place of dependence and forget our need to abide in him. When was the last time you did something that scared you, took you out of your comfort zone? It could be posting an answer to prayer on social media, agreeing to give your testimony in church, offering to pray for a non-Christian friend in work or take that new job that feels too big. The Gospel writer John reminds us, “Apart from me [Jesus] you can do nothing” (John 15:5). Engage in things that throw you back into the arms of Jesus.

So whether it’s the words of SClub7 on my old Walkman or the Apostle Paul, when it comes to your life as a Jesus follower ‘Don’t Stop Moving’ it’s time to ‘Press On’.

This article first appeared in the June 2023 edition of Direction Magazine. For further details, please click here.

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