“ENDING WELL”
6). For I am now ready to be offered and the time of my departure is at hand. 7). I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith; 8). Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day; and not to me only. but unto all them also that love his appearing.
2 TIMOTHY 4: 6-8 (KJV)
Many people think about the last years of life as an opportunity to just relax. But this does not align with God’s purpose for us; He wants us to serve Him all the days of our lives.
Let’s look at the apostle Paul’s journey and explore what it means to finish well. He spent time pouring into others until the very end of his life. Consider the letters he wrote to Timothy from a prison cell prior to being executed. In every season of life, God calls us to serve others.
And notice how, when writing about his life, the apostle chose words descriptive of a battle. He understood the human struggle against sin as well as the challenges of pain and persecution in the trials we all face–even in doing kingdom work like preaching Christ to a fiercely resistant society.
This godly servant’s life was also marked by surrender. His mindset is obvious in these words: “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. (Romans 12:1). He was not afraid of Nero, nor was he struggling to stay alive. Paul trusted God to determine everything about his life, including where he would go, what he would do, and when he would die. Death did not scare him, because he knew he would dwell with Jesus forever.
God doesn’t require our lives to be perfect in order to finish strong. We can live life fully and be ready to meet our Maker by surrendering, walking victoriously with Christ, and serving others.
If Jesus called you home today, would you be confident that you lived well until the end?
-IBC
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