FINISHING WELL

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."

- 2 Timothy 4:7

When I was in elementary school, each year my school would hold a "field day" event for the kids, usually at the very end of the school year.  Individual and team events would be conducted during "field day."  One of the team events was the 440-relay.  Each homeroom had four of their fastest runners compete.  One year I was the second runner on my team.  The first runner on my team was obviously inexperienced at running such a distance.  He started running fast ... but then ran out of steam.  He started well but he didn't finish well.  Our team never recovered from his disastrous run.  We finished third ... which wouldn't be so bad, but there were just three teams.

That event has remained in my memory all these years.  It taught me a valuable lesson:  it is not how well you start, but how you finish that really matters.  Many great men had a rough start in life, but they finished well.  On the other hand, we've all known men who were very successful, but then failed miserably near the end.  When we hear the name, Richard Nixon, we normally think about the Watergate scandal.  When we hear the name, Jim Bakker, we typically remember the scandal that ended the PTL Club & led to his incarceration.  These examples prove that when a person fails greatly, people tend to remember the failure rather than the good deeds that preceded it. 

As I thought about the rest of my life, I knew that there was one goal I needed to concentrate on:

I WANT TO FINISH WELL

I don't want to be remembered by a blunder I made near the end of my life.  Instead, I'd prefer to be remembered as a Godly man who finished well.

The Apostle Paul was a man who finished well.  As he wrote his final words to Timothy, Paul wrote, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."  Paul was going to finish well.  

As we consider how Paul finished well, we learn how we can do the same.

1.  BE FIERCE

Paul wrote, "I have fought the good fight."  We are in a spiritual war.  Every day we have an enemy that opposes us.  This foe fights us tooth and nail as we seek to glorify God.  Don't think for a moment that the warfare eases as we near the finish.  The devil will fight us all the way to grave.  We must fight him fiercely every moment, every day.  Paige Patterson once said, "You can't coast for a single day."  We can't afford to be complacent when the enemy seeks to destroy our testimony and those dearest to us.  Be fierce ... all the way to the end.

2.  BE FOCUSED

Paul also wrote, "I have finished my course."  Like a runner, Paul was about to cross the finish line.  Earlier I mentioned that I liked to run when I was younger.  One thing I learned about running is this:  we can only be successful if we keep our eye on the finish line.  If a runner turns to look at spectators or look back to see other runners, he loses time and can easily stumble.  Paul kept focused on the finish line.

When we consider that judgment looms ahead, it gives us fresh incentive to finish well.  Stay focused!

3.  BE FAITHFUL

Finally, Paul wrote, "I have kept the faith."  If we want to finish well, we must be faithful to the end.  Our salvation is not contingent upon our faithfulness, but the Lord's faithfulness.  We should be faithful till the end for several reasons.  First, we will stand at the Judgment Seat of Christ soon and we want to be found faithful in the stewardship entrusted to us.  Secondly, we want to receive a full reward on that day.  Third, we want to leave a heritage behind for those who follow us.  We want others to be inspired to be faithful themselves. 

Being faithful is more than attending church occasionally.  Faithfulness requires continual obedience and devotion to God. 

Be fierce.  Be focused.  Be faithful. 

That's how you finish well.