Fighting the Good Fight
Theme: Fighting the Good Fight
Verse: 2 Timothy 4:7
Do you have a mentor? Most of us do. I can point to many, especially from the small town in which my sister and I grew up. Some were schoolteachers, some members of our church, and others were random adults I came across through the process of growing up in Crystal City, MO.
The point is all the people we encountered as children have shaped us as adults. And like it or not, the baton of mentorship has been passed to us.
Jesus lived for only 33 years, then it was up to others to do the work of spreading the Good News of His life. Paul did this by encouraging various churches and individuals through his letters. He used a wonderful sports/athletic metaphor to teach us our responsibility. In our Scripture, he declared, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”
Fought indeed! He suffered innumerable challenges including imprisonment, stoning, shipwrecks, hunger, and homelessness to name a few. YET HE FINISHED THE RACE!
Paul lived a mere 60 years. Given all the challenges he faced, that seems an incredible feat. But he was a remarkably influential person in the establishment of the Christian church.
How long will your race be? What will your impact be? The challenge this week as we start out a new year is to be like Paul and run a good race (of faith) to the finish!
Have a great week!
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