Hours behind the runner in front of him, the last marathoner finally entered the Olympic stadium. By that time, the drama of the day's events was almost over and most of the spectators had gone home. This athlete's story, however, was still being played out. Limping into the arena, the Tanzanian runner grimaced with every step, his knee bleeding from an earlier fall. His ragged appearance immediately caught the attention of the remaining crowd, who cheered him on to the finish line. Why did he stay in the race? What made him endure his injuries to the end? When asked these questions later, he replied, "My country did not send me 7,000 miles away to start the race. They sent me 7,000 miles to finish it." __Quote magazine, July 1991
"Finishing" was the thing that kept him going in spite of the injuries. The thought of being a disappointment to his country was enough to keep him limping along to the finish line. What an inspiring story! Perhaps this is the kind of motivation Paul had in mind when he wrote the believers in Corinth: "But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway." [1 Cor.9:27] It was important to Paul not only to have a good "beginning" but also a good "finish." There are a lot of good "starters" but few good "finishers." As I enter the autumn of my ministry, I have an over-powering desire to "finish well." I realize how quickly a ministry can be negated by a careless word or deed. I certainly don't want to be a spiritual "castaway."
Paul mentions several things that will help us to finish well. First of all, we must run in such a way as to win and to stay focused on the goal. Secondly, we must be disciplined and exercise self-control in "all" things. Notice that Paul doesn't say "some" things but "all" things. When we follow these instructions we become a runner who stays focused on the race and the goal; we become a fighter who does not just beat the air with his gloves; we become a "finisher." With Paul, I want to "press on" toward the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. I have a higher calling than the runner from Tanzania for my calling is from God. The thought of disappointing my Lord drives me on and with the help of His Holy Spirit . . . I will "finish well."
Monday, April 20, 2009
Friday, April 3, 2009
Choices?
John's blog . . . who would have every thought? This blog was created for me by two of my best friends, Mike & Tonya Stevens. They may be the only "followers" that read this blog, but that's OK. With that in mind . . . here goes my "first blog."
You know how it is when you're about to wake up and those "last minute dreams" begin to pop into your mind. Most of the time I don't feel a need to document my dreams, but a few mornings ago I awakened with an inner desire to write down what I had been "mulling over" in my sleep. It seems that I was surrounded by people of various ages and the topic under discussion involved choices that they had made or were about to make.
Choices! Life is full of them and what we experience or fail to experience in life depends a great deal on the choices we make. Not long ago, I was teaching a Bible Study and happened to mention my "life's verse." I could tell by the expressions on the faces of my listeners that they were not overly impressed about a "life's verse." I went on to tell them that my life's verse was found in Romans 12:1-2: "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect."
(NASB) Even though I have failed many times, it has been my desire to make choices with those verses in mind. When I make choices based on what the world is telling me, I will get exactly what the world can deliver, but when I make choices based on what God says, I will get exactly what God alone can deliver. That's making a choice that will count!
You don't have to be around people very long before you discover who and what is influencing their choice-making. If you plan a church calendar you understand how we "bend over backwards" to make the schedule convenient enough for people to come. Usually it is the church that does all the adjusting when it should be the other way around. Wouldn't that be something: the community checking with us to make sure their schedule would work with ours? Having a "life's verse or verses" can help us make choices with the "kingdom of God" in mind. When we make choices based on what God says in His Word, we can be assured of His blessing and . . . our choices will be a blessing to Him.
You know how it is when you're about to wake up and those "last minute dreams" begin to pop into your mind. Most of the time I don't feel a need to document my dreams, but a few mornings ago I awakened with an inner desire to write down what I had been "mulling over" in my sleep. It seems that I was surrounded by people of various ages and the topic under discussion involved choices that they had made or were about to make.
Choices! Life is full of them and what we experience or fail to experience in life depends a great deal on the choices we make. Not long ago, I was teaching a Bible Study and happened to mention my "life's verse." I could tell by the expressions on the faces of my listeners that they were not overly impressed about a "life's verse." I went on to tell them that my life's verse was found in Romans 12:1-2: "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect."
(NASB) Even though I have failed many times, it has been my desire to make choices with those verses in mind. When I make choices based on what the world is telling me, I will get exactly what the world can deliver, but when I make choices based on what God says, I will get exactly what God alone can deliver. That's making a choice that will count!
You don't have to be around people very long before you discover who and what is influencing their choice-making. If you plan a church calendar you understand how we "bend over backwards" to make the schedule convenient enough for people to come. Usually it is the church that does all the adjusting when it should be the other way around. Wouldn't that be something: the community checking with us to make sure their schedule would work with ours? Having a "life's verse or verses" can help us make choices with the "kingdom of God" in mind. When we make choices based on what God says in His Word, we can be assured of His blessing and . . . our choices will be a blessing to Him.
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