Onward and Upward - Kerry Shook

Someone who is goal oriented, successful and a high achiever is often referred to as someone who is moving onward and upward. A person who follows Jesus can be described as having an “upward calling.” He lifts our eyes, gives us strength, and provides us hope for life beyond our mere earthly existence into His kingdom in Heaven.

I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. Philippians 3:12-14 (NLT)

At some point in time, most of us have found ourselves in some type of leadership role where we’re encouraging others to “keep your eyes on the prize” in order to help them avoid distractions and keep their focus on the key goals and objectives. As Christ followers, we need to be constantly aware of our “prize” and upward calling in Jesus. If He is the focus and centerpiece of our lives, we are much less likely to be distracted by the challenges of this world. He is not just one of the prizes in our lives; He is the prize!

But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed steadily into heaven and saw the glory of God, and he saw Jesus standing in the place of honor at God’s right hand. And he told them, “Look, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing in the place of honor at God’s right hand!”  Acts 7:55-56 (NLT)

As we get ready for the Global Leadership Summit this week, keep your eyes fixed on Jesus as the one and only role model for your leadership.  He intends to guide you and give you the strength to lead your team onward and upward on the path of righteousness, peace, and joy.

Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you. Proverbs 4:25 (NLT)