The apostle Paul must have been a sports junkie. He was always using sports metaphors to make his point. For example, our text: "... I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:14). Paul is "going for the gold" in these long-running Olympics that we call the Christian life.

Have you ever wished you could be a spiritual giant like Paul or any of the other great saints of the church? Sure, we would like to be great Christians — faithful disciples, powerful witnesses, tremendous leaders — spiritual gold medalists. But then we start to think about it and we see the obstacles, our own limitations, and with a sigh of resignation we settle into what we come to see as unavoidable mediocrity.

That cries out to be challenged. T…