I have fought the good fight
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. 2 Timothy 4:7-8
These are remarkable verses. Paul was clear that his life was coming to an end, but there was absolutely no sense of despair or sadness. He was about to be set free from the restrictions and problems of life, to enter into the nearer presence of his Lord. What was there to be sad about? He used this moment to reflect on his life and did so, typically, by using metaphors from sport. He had fought the fight, finished the race and was now awaiting the prize.
Surely we all want to get to the end of our lives with this same sense of peace and contentment. None of us will look back on a life of perfection. All of our lives are tarnished by sin and failure, but we must pray that we will be able to look back and reflect that we have run the race faithfully.
Paul often spoke about the future in his letters and always did so with confidence and excitement. He couldn’t wait to be with the Lord. He wrote to the church in Philippi: “I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me” (Philippians 1:23). However, he knew that, for as long as he had breath, he had work to do. He wrote: “I am convinced that I will remain alive so I can continue to help all of you grow and experience the joy of your faith” (Philippians 1:25).
I wonder what God is calling you to do. It may attract widespread attention, or be hidden away in a place where few will be aware of it. It doesn’t matter. We all have God-given work to do, and we need to make sure that we give our best to it so that, when we get to the end of our days, we will have the contentment that Paul had. We must finish the race and be faithful.
QUESTION
What is God calling you to do today?
PRAYER
Lord God, help me to live this day faithfully for you. Amen
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