2 Timothy 4
Finishing well requires looking ahead at what (and Who) lies before us. II Timothy 4 gives us our ultimate future; Christ’s appearing and His Kingdom. We run life’s race with our eye upon Christ who is the Author and Finisher of our faith.
That means He is the originator and completer of our faith. Some of life’s journey grows our faith in ways we enjoy, but often the Completer of our faith allows twists, turns, potholes and even lengthy detours to s-t-r-e-t-c-h our faith so it can grow. In those uncomfortable moments we must choose to live “in view of His appearing and His kingdom” knowing that the paths we run will ultimately lead us to Him. And thankfully, He runs with us, cheering us on and encouraging us to be fully present, while still looking ahead to the finish line where our Lord will be waiting with open arms!
For us, the future is hazy and unknown, but for the One with an unobstructed view of eternity, our future is like a familiar story, which brings comfort to my heart. In addition to being fully present and looking ahead, we also need to persevere to remain effective in the race. Not denying our trials or mistakes but actively choosing to trust Him to use them to help us finish well – so that at the end of our physical life we may echo Paul’s final victory cry “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”
Pastor Sandy