One of the Greek’s Olympic games was a race in which the contestants carried torches and the winner was the one that finished with his torch still lit. The Christian’s desire should be that he will finish his race with his flame still burning strong. Source: Fan the Flame, J. Stowell
My friend, are you prepared to finish this life well? What are you doing today that keeps you in the race? What if your race were to end today – unexpectedly?
It is crucial we all finish well. Let’s consider the focus of finishing well (II Cor. 12:9; II Tim. 4:6-7). Paul rehearsed what was coming more than what was happening in the here and now. What is coming? Jesus in all his holiness and righteousness! Heaven. Removal of sin. Eternity. Crowns. My accounting before Jesus the perfect judge (a big reason why we want to finish well)! Here are 3 things to focus on to finish well:
Paul focused on God’s inseparable love (Rom. 8:37-39)
o Paul believed he was a great conqueror through the love of God (8:37)
o Paul declared a “no exception clause” when it came to God’s love for mankind. Nothing can possibly separate us from God’s love (8:38b-39)!
o Paul pointed to the visual demonstration of God’s love, Jesus. (8:39)
Paul focused on God’s grace (II Cor. 12:9)
o This dependence led him to happily embrace what made him weak…because thru Jesus he was made strong.
o This dependence led him to stop fighting for release from his personal infirmity. He declared such a position with the phrase “glory in my infirmities.”
o This dependence led him to expect the power of Christ in and through his life.
Paul focused on the eternal finish line (II Tim. 4:7)
o Paul replaced his temporal race with an eternal race.
o Paul’s daily choices were:
Fight the right fight — “…fought a good fight….”
Don’t stop running the race until it is over — “…finished my course….”
Choose to believe God and follow Him — “…kept the faith….”
Have you slowed down living for Jesus? Have you become distracted by not so bad choices, sinful choices, disappointments, feelings, preferences? Cast your care on Jesus…make right with God where needed…leave it at His throne…and keep going! Much is yet needing to be done before Jesus comes for the church!
Have you stopped listening to God? Christine Chapman was supposed to bring her mother-in-law to the doctor, but she could not get her to stop talking to the neighbor. Finally, Christine escorted her away from the conversation so they wouldn’t be late. Once inside the car, her mother-in-law said, “Sorry, but I didn’t know what to do. The woman wouldn’t stop listening to me.” (Source: Reader’s Digest, January 2008).
Have you stopped listening to the still small voice of God? Have you decided to live life your way and not God’s way? Have you come across hard pathways of life and wonder how you got here? Have you gotten a distance down the road of life and realized the Bible was right…you shouldn’t have made “that choice” all those weeks, months, or years ago?
As long as you still have breath, it is not too late! Come to Jesus today! Think what would happen in our communities if we all chose consistently and persistently Jesus Christ alone in 2024!
What do your habits of 2023 say of your spiritual character…what do they say of how you will finish this life if you remain headed in that direction? Are you on a pathway of everyday life that is targeted to end this life well?