GOOOOOOAAAAALLLLL!

It’s that time, when America pretends to like soccer:) I bet you have caught a match or two of World Cup fútbol.

Elementary school soccer wasn’t for me. I was horrible, so I just didn’t follow the game much. However, ever since I saw a professional soccer game in person a few years back, I have found myself growing in love with the sport.

The athletes are outstanding. The endurance is unbelievable. The leg strength, footwork, patience, passing, movement, and timing are incredible. And it’s cool to see the countries and cultures from around the world coming together to compete.

But the best part of a match, at least to me, is the moment when someone finally puts the ball into the net.

The crowd goes wild.
The person who scored often takes off running in celebration.
The team runs toward the scorer to jump up and down with them.
And the announcer screams what everyone just witnessed:

Gooooooooooooooooooooal!

Which makes me wonder,

What does the goal of your life look like?

Let’s take a PAUSE.

Take 5 deep breaths, recognizing your body, soul, and breath.

Breathe in. Breathe out.
Breathe in. Breathe out.
Breathe in. Breathe out.
Breathe in. Breathe out.
Breathe in. Breathe out.

In the name of Jesus, God is present with you. He lives in you.

Sit with these words from God through the Apostle Paul,

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. (Philippians 3:13–14)

Paul’s goal was not hidden. He actually names it just a few verses earlier,

I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings. (Philippians 3:10)

That was Paul’s goal.

Let’s apply this goal to our own lives.

Read these next three lines slowly as you continue to PAUSE.

I want to know you more, Christ.
I desire to know your resurrection power in my life, Lord.
I hope I can honor you by sharing in your sufferings daily.

Which leads to a simple question for us: How are we doing with that goal?

Not just the goal of getting more done.
Not just the goal of being more successful.
Not just the goal of making it through another busy week.

But the goal is to know Jesus more deeply.

Take a moment to ask Jesus for help with this goal. Dear Jesus, I need help…

As we unpause and go back into the rest of our week, maybe the goal can be:

Know Christ a little more.
Trust that His resurrection means you, too, will be raised on the last day.
And believe that even in your suffering, Jesus is not far away. He is drawing you closer to Himself.

That is a gooooooooooooooooooooal worth pressing on toward.

This week’s Pause was clearly written by Jake Boessling

because Anthony knows nothing about sports.