Week 29 Devotional | Press-On

Andre Iguodala says that Steph Curry, more than anyone else, lives clutter-free. He has tapped into something mentally where he has such a short-term memory that he can quickly move on to the next play, make or miss, and he flows in that zone at all times.

When many of us miss a shot in a workout or a game, it completely throws us off; but not Steph. He just moves on to the next one. Iggy said that Klay Thompson is worse. Klay can be 0 for 10 and he thinks that the next 10 shots are going in.

They can PRESS ON no matter what is going on. They don't hold on to dead weight, and they don’t live in the past. 

In Philippians 3:10-14, Paul wrote:

I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining the resurrection from the dead.

Not 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. 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.

To press means to press against the pressure. Success is a journey, and the goal is to keep PRESSING ON no matter what happens to us. One of the toughest things for me on this journey is the battle going on in my mind, especially when I mess up.

I hold on to more things than I want to hold on to. I hold on to misses, I hold on to mistakes, and I hold on to guilt more than I need to.

But I learned that holding onto negative thoughts and guilt does nothing but hold us back. I learned that God has already forgiven me and moved on, and I need to as well. I learned that just because I feel guilty does not mean that I am guilty. I have learned to believe in the word of God over my feelings. I learned that I can be confident even when I do not feel confident. I can be confident because I know who I am in Christ and because I know that He is always with me. Sometimes I feel more anointed and confident than other times, but I believe that I am always where I need to be. 

So are you.

Don't bow down to your feelings. Don't let your feelings rule over you. Talk to God about your feelings, He will forgive you, and keep living life. Don't let anything or anyone steal your joy or your peace. Talkback to your feelings. Talk back to the devil. The thief comes to kill, steal, and destroy, but Jesus came so that we may have life and have it to the full (John 10:10).

Be like Steph and Klay. Be like Paul. Keep PRESSING ON with peace and joy. It is one of the gifts that Jesus left us.

This Week

1 - When you feel thoughts of doubt or guilt, talk back to yourself. Tell yourself you are more than capable. Tell yourself that God is with you. Tell yourself that all things work together for those who believe and who are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). Tell yourself to PRESS ON.

2 - Think about a time where you overcame real adversity. Remember how you felt when you were going through it. Remember how you felt when you overcame it. No suffering lasts forever. Learn how to rejoice in your sufferings knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope (Romans 5:3-4).

For a Google Doc version of this, click here: Week 29 Devo | PRESS ON