Created by God to move forward
The current Australian Coat of Arms features two of their iconic animals, a kangaroo and an emu, proudly supporting a shield, which symbolizes the six states. There is a lot of speculation why the kangaroo and the emu were chosen over other animals such as the koala bear. The one I like the best is that both animals have something in common. Their bodies were designed to move forward while awkward if they try to move back-wards. The shape of the kangaroo’s body and its long tail impedes backward motion. The Emu’s strong legs were shaped to run fast while the joints in their knees make backward motion difficult. The use of the two animals brilliantly conveyed what the 1908 version of this Coat of Arms boldly proclaimed, “Advance Australia.”
Perhaps Apostle Paul had this same sentiment in mind when he affirms, “But one thing I do…I press on towards the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus (NIV).” J.B. Phillips translation renders Paul’s thoughts this way, “But I keep going on, grasping ever more firmly that purpose for which Christ grasped me.” Philippians 3:13b-14
This “one thing” that Paul desired to obtain included three steps:
1. Forgetting those things that are behind.
2. Reaching to the things ahead.
3. Pressing toward the goal of the Call of Christ.
Whether we are talking about the way God fashioned the kangaroo and the emu or the intense passion God placed in his followers, we’re designed by God to move forward in Him. Press in, press on, and hear our God’s heavenly Call with ever-increasing clarity.
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