Finishing the Race

5:17 AM / Posted by Bhebhe Lacson /

Just live your life before your Lord,
Rise to that higher, nobler plane--
With single eye His glory seek,
And you shall His approval gain.

He who puts God first will have happiness that lasts.

2 Timothy 4:6-8

6For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.

7I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:

8Henceforth 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.

It's easy to live a long life, at least in America. Look at the statistics: Out of every 100,000 persons, 88,361 reach 50 years of age, more than 70,000 make it to 70, and almost 17,000 get to 85 or more. Staying around a long time, however, should not be our primary goal. Rather, we should be concerned with giving significance and value to all our years and not letting them end in shame and disgrace.

How we finish the race depends to a great extent on the pace we set along the way. Joseph Wittig remarked that when we write people's biographies we should start with their death, not their birth. After all, we have nothing to do with the way our life began, but we have a lot to do with the way it ends.

When Paul wrote 2 Timothy, he was in a Roman dungeon awaiting execution. He said, "I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand" (4:6). At that moment he could testify, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith" (v.7).

We too can end the Christian race well, even if we began late, started slow, or faltered along the way. The secret is to stay true to Christ to the last moment.

PERSONAL REFLECTION:
Sometimes I thought of life being so unfair - - the powerful rules and the powerless keeps quiet, when I was an unbeliever, I thought of my Life being so unfair. And now, even in Christianity - sometimes it is a little bit unfair also (this is based on my own point of view) unfair between Christians themselves and unfair between God and yourself.
I remember that I put this website up for the mere reason of sharing God's goodness not just to my close friends but for everybody who will be able to visit this site.. I call it a modern way of sharing Jesus since you get to share Christ even to people you do not know. Yes I know that this is some kind of threat to Satan (He hates stuffs like this!) so in between my Journey of Following God's will and trying to please Him in the best that I could - Satan works behind it... it's true so many distractions and so many discouragements ... because of this I was quite unfair to God - because I have to think twice whether to continue this ministry or not - I am very disappointed -- on the things that are happening around me - the words that I hear .. the expressions and actions I see.... but should I just stop here? should I stop this Journey? Should I disappoint God as well? Should I be unfair to God as I see the world around me being so unfair??
I have to start once again... every time people around me misunderstood me - God has always been my ally - when everything around me gets a little unfair - It is Him who still keeps me going somehow - although some people might not understand me - the only hope I have is God's understanding and so I am writing once again.. because I have to finish my course, I should fight a good one! and most of all I should keep my Faith!!!



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