Finishing Strong
'I have finished my course' 2 Timothy 4:7
Right now it probably seems like you've got your whole life in front of you. The world is full of fresh opportunities, great adventures and exciting people to meet. If life was a race, you'd have miles of track in front of you. But here's the thing: not everybody who starts the run finishes it.
If you want to stay the distance, you need to beware of potential hurdles. At the first hurdle you may find close 'going-for-it' mates trip up. Some give up or give in to temptation; others don't like the way the Christian path is taking them and just like in Jesus' day, 'many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more' (John 6:66 NKJ).
By the second hurdle you may start to feel the burn. Running with God isn't all warm glows and 'praise Him on the panpipes'. Sometimes God purposefully takes you through tough times, 'Anyone who wants to live all out for Christ is in for a lot of trouble; there's no getting around it' (2 Tim. 3:12 TM). All runners hit the wall at some point - the important thing is to keep on running.
Our final hurdle is opposition. People, situations, losses - opposition comes in different disguises. Often opposition is an indicator that God is about to bless you. In order to finish strong you mustn't quit: face each challenge and keep running in the face of opposition.
written by Bob Gass
'I have finished my course' 2 Timothy 4:7
Right now it probably seems like you've got your whole life in front of you. The world is full of fresh opportunities, great adventures and exciting people to meet. If life was a race, you'd have miles of track in front of you. But here's the thing: not everybody who starts the run finishes it.
If you want to stay the distance, you need to beware of potential hurdles. At the first hurdle you may find close 'going-for-it' mates trip up. Some give up or give in to temptation; others don't like the way the Christian path is taking them and just like in Jesus' day, 'many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more' (John 6:66 NKJ).
By the second hurdle you may start to feel the burn. Running with God isn't all warm glows and 'praise Him on the panpipes'. Sometimes God purposefully takes you through tough times, 'Anyone who wants to live all out for Christ is in for a lot of trouble; there's no getting around it' (2 Tim. 3:12 TM). All runners hit the wall at some point - the important thing is to keep on running.
Our final hurdle is opposition. People, situations, losses - opposition comes in different disguises. Often opposition is an indicator that God is about to bless you. In order to finish strong you mustn't quit: face each challenge and keep running in the face of opposition.
written by Bob Gass