I was doing some baking this morning, half listening to a program on television. It was a mystery movie, and the characters were trying to sort out the clues. One of these characters had become rather emotional about one of the suspects. Because she didn’t like her, she believed she was guilty. Her friend made this statement, “Keep your eye on the goal. Put your personal feelings aside.”

This statement struck me as a significant way to approach our Christianity. It fits so well with some of the difficulties we face trying to live a Christian life.

As we deal with people on a day-to-day basis, we certainly encounter people who are difficult. We get caught up in the emotional and in dealing with “attitude” instead of the souls.

This happened to the preachers and apostles in the first century church. I feel certain it happened with ordinary Christians as well. Let’s look at some examples.

In Acts 8, Philip, the evangelist, had preached in the city of Samaria. A man named Simon, who had been a sorcerer, was converted. He followed Philip around after his conversion so he could see the miracles Philip performed.

Peter and John heard about the conversions in Samaria, and they made the trip to be with these new Christians. While they were there, they laid their hands on these new Christians so they could receive the Holy Spirit. Only the apostles could do this, but Simon wanted this power. Remember, he had been a sorcerer. He thought he could buy this power of laying on of hands.

Peter had to rebuke him for what Peter called, “this wickedness”. Simon could not have this power, and Peter had to keep his eye on the goal and help him understand this.

In Acts 9, Philip was sent by an angel to the desert of Gaza. There he met a man, a Eunuch of Ethiopia. This man was reading from Isaiah the prophet, and he didn’t understand what he was reading. The Eunuch asked Philip to explain it to him.

Philip entered the chariot of the man from Ethiopia and taught him about Jesus. The scripture was a prophecy about the death of Jesus, and he began there to teach the Eunuch what he needed to do to be saved.

Philip kept his eye on the goal and taught this man the gospel. He patiently explained the prophecy and “preached unto him Jesus.”

In Acts 16, Paul and Silas had been put in prison. They were beaten and then chained so they could not escape.

At midnight, they were praying and singing, when suddenly there was an earthquake. The doors of the prison were opened, and their chains were loosed. The guard was sleeping; and when he saw that the doors were open and the chains of the prisoners had fallen off, he pulled out his sword ready to kill himself. He just knew his prisoners had escaped, and that meant death for him.

Paul and Silas assured the man that none of the prisoners had escaped. The guard was so grateful; and he asked them what he needed to do to be saved. I feel certain his idea of being saved was not what Paul and Silas shared with him.

The scripture says that they spoke the “word of the Lord” to him and all of his house. He and all in his house believed and were baptized. This same man that had a part in the physical beating of these men, took them and washed their wounds and fed them.

Paul and Silas kept their eyes on the goal, the converting of another soul. Their concern was not on their on physical well-being but on the spreading of the gospel.

So how does all of this relate to us? We never know what we will encounter as we go from day-to-day living our normal lives and hoping to influence others for Christ. We must stay focused on our goal. Our goal is like that of Paul the apostle. He said in Philippians 3:12-14, “Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (ESV).

If we keep our goal in front of us, we can say as Paul did, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing” (II Timothy 4:7-8).

 Sandra Oliver