In my last blog, I wrote about the thoughts I have been having after my 59^th birthday.  (You can go back and read it by clicking here.)  As I mentioned in that blog, my dad died at 73.  If I life the same life span as he, I have about 14 years left. I hope I live a lot more years than that, but in reality, I’m not even promised that many. To put it in baseball terms, this is the seventh inning stretch.  It’s time to get serious about some things.

God has been very good to me in all my life. I was raised by loving parents in a good Christian home.  I attended a solid Bible-teaching church and received a good education at a Christian school.  By God’s grace, I married a wonderful and beautiful (and incredibly patient) wife and have an awesome daughter.  I’ve been blessed to spend my life serving God by leading and teaching His people. Even if my life ended today, I would have no complaints. God has given me more than I deserve.

However, though thankful for all God has done, my passion is to live the rest of my life finishing strong.

The Grace of Finishing Strong

The first of two verses God has used to refocus my life is found in 1 Corinthians 15:10. Paul had spent the previous verses clearly delineating the Gospel and its effect on his life.  He recognized that he was where he was in life because in grace, Jesus changed his life.  And he confidently asserted this truth.

But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain.

I am not a self-made man! I have abundantly experienced God’s grace my whole life.  But I want to be able to confidently say that God’s grace toward me was not in vain. Like Paul, I want to fulfill the destiny for which Jesus made me His own.

I don’t want to live out the rest of my life just letting things “play out.”  I want to go to my grave accomplishing all that JESUS had in mind for me.  Most people determine their own definition of a successful life.  And they live out their days seeking to achieve success by their definition.

When Jesus made me His, He bought the right to determine what is my success.  I want to know what that it and fulfill it.  I don’t want to live to please myself, or anyone else for that matter.  Finishing Strong means I accomplish all He intended for me when He made me His own. Oh that His grace in my life will not be in vain!

The Goal of Finishing Strong

The other verse God has used to refocus my life is 2 Timothy 4:6-8.

⁶ For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. ⁷ I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. ⁸ 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.

As Paul was nearing the end of his life, he looked forward to receiving the reward for faithfully serving Jesus.  Interestingly, heavenly rewards are not participation trophies. Paul knew there were three things he had done to merit those rewards.  We see them in verse 7. Notice the definite articles before each one. 

The Fight 

Not every fight is worth fighting.  Paul means “good fight” neither in terms of how he fought nor the cause for which he fought. He didn’t mean that he did a good job fighting. Nor did he mean that he was fighting for some cause he thought was “good.”  He fought THE GOOD fight.  He didn’t get to pick his battles.  The 13 books he wrote and the last 20 chapters Acts make obvious the Gospel was his fight.

I have wasted a lot of life fighting a lot of good battles – politics, issues, church stuff.  But I want to devote my remaining life to THE good fight: the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Only the gospel is the power of God to salvation.

The Course

The word Paul uses for race pictures a course or path.  He emphasis not that he just ran, he ran the path God laid out for him.  I want to finish MY course.  I want to finish the race God has set before me and not what others set before me.  His voice will direct each turn and twist in the path.  I want Him to tell me when to brake and when to accelerate.  He calls the pit stops and tells me when to stay on the track.  I want to run with endurance the race He has set before me. (Hebrews 12:1)

The Faith

I hear people say all the time, “you just gotta have faith!”  Really?  But faith in what or whom. Paul stated he had kept the faith.  That meant he guarded it against attack or decay.  It also meant he obeyed it.  He didn’t try to change the truth to accommodate his culture or his circumstances.  There was no concept of “your truth” and “my truth.”  There was only THE faith.  Jude referred to is as “the faith once for all delivered to the saints.” (Jude 3)

Ours is an age of relativity, and truth has become a casualty.  But God’s Word has never changed.  I want to learn it more deeply, teach it more clearly, and live it more carefully.  I want God’s Word to transform me and through my teaching transform others.  

My prayer is that God will not let me be like so many I read about today who have changed their message.  By His grace I pray that He will help me be true to Him and His Word.  May be enable me to keep the faith.

It’s Never Too Early to Start Finishing Strong

I know this has been a long post.  Thank you for sticking with me.  I don’t know where you are in life.  You may be further down the road than I.  Or you may have yet to travel around the Sun as much as I have.  But whatever the case, finishing strong begins today.  Start where you are.  Ask God for grace to begin your finish.  May His grace not be in vain in our lives.