Finishing Well

 November 29, 2021

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.” —II Timothy 4:7-8 

The Bible is filled with stories of those who started well but petered out before reaching the finish line. Some, like Joash in 2 Chronicles, did well for a long time, but got proud and complacent, and went off the rails. Others, like Demas (2 Timothy 4:10), got distracted, entranced by the glitter of this life. Some, I imagine, just got tired of the battle. Elijah was on the verge of quitting when God sent him on a much-needed vacation (1 Kings 19).

Jesus put it plainly: “He who endures to the end shall be saved” (Matthew 24:13). I’m at a point in life where I don’t worry about much. Covid doesn’t scare me; I take reasonable precautions in life; there are places I wouldn’t go alone at night; I buckle up when I’m driving, and am careful with my fingers when I use my table saw. I’m in no hurry to rush the process, but I’m not afraid to die. 

The only thing I really fear is that I might not end well. Retirement can be a trap; it’s easy to settle into a more casual pace that eventually slows to a crawl. This is true in spiritual life as well as in the natural day to day stuff. We’ve all read the stories of famous Christian leaders who started believing their own press, grew careless, and went through the guardrails to their own destruction. Sadly, such failures affect so many others who followed their ministries and teaching. They were stars that shone brightly till they exploded, engulfing those close to them and lighting up the media before fading into oblivion.

“Lord, grant me mercy to finish strong. Protect me from my sinful self, that it not come down from the cross. May it not rise to infect me with its living death of sin and rebellion. The words of the old hymn are so true: “Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it; prone to leave the God I love.” In your mercy I place my trust; in your saving power in Christ alone, I place my hope.”